It’s no secret that we’ve started using our smartphones to keep track of more than just text messages, emails, and call logs. From staying on top of our busy schedules with the calendar app to capturing life’s sweetest moments on camera, we use our phones to help us out every day.

Now your smartphone can even help you get healthy by downloading apps for workout routines or playtime ideas. Check out the following apps to help you get in shape—either on your own or with the whole family!

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Healthy Recipe Apps

Give these apps a try for some healthy and tasty recipes to make with your family.

• EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry (iTunes) gives you over 200 healthy recipes to get started. If you need more recipes, there are in-app purchase options for six more collections of recipes, including dinners for two, kids, and Mediterranean food.
• SparkRecipes – Healthy Recipes (Google Play) lets you search and save thousands of recipes with diet information on each recipe.
• Fooducate (iTunes and Google Play) scans barcodes on food in the grocery store, instantly giving you a letter grade on how healthy it is, while providing health information such as calories per serving.

Playtime Apps

Running out of ideas for playtime fun? These apps give you quick and equally fun options, whether you want to go out or stay at home.

• Playtime – Fun Kids’ Activities (iTunes) provides over 300 playtime activities for you and your children. Try a new idea almost every day!
• Pandora Radio lets you create a family-friendly playlist of your favorite music for free. Create a playlist for playtime or have fun dance parties with your kids
• Spotify lets you create a playlist and follow your favorite family-friendly artists. Listen online for free or upgrade to premium for music on the go.

Workout Apps

Use these apps to increase your physical activity. Create workouts for yourself or ones the whole family can do!

• Daily Workouts (iTunes and Google Play) gives you over 100 exercises to choose from! The workouts focus in on specific problem areas or full body cardio.
• GAIN Yoga (iTunes) provides simple yoga poses that you can do on your own, or get your child involved, too! Tailor your yoga time using the practice mode and custom workouts.
• iBitz PowerKey (iTunes) provides a Tamigotchi-like animated GeoBotz character for kids to take care of. Your children’s real life physical activity helps to power the health of the GeoBotz character.
• iBitz Unity (iTunes) helps you monitor the entire family’s physical activity wirelessly all in one place. The app tracks steps, distance, weight, height, overall physical activity, and BMI for the entire family.

For some healthy snack ideas check out our “It’s OK to Play with Your Food” post! Have more suggestions on how to get healthy? Let us know in the comments! 

Whether you’re running errands, heading to school, or even going to visit family out of town, it’s important to keep you and your kids safe along the way. Wearing your seatbelts and driving carefully might be the first things you think of, but there are many other ways to make sure you’re keeping your kids safe while on the road.

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Keep a Bag Ready to Go

Have a bag ready to go, packed with snacks, water, a First Aid kit, and sunscreen. You could also include a couple toys or books to keep your children entertained on the drive. If you always have a bag prepared, it cuts down the risk of distractions, meltdowns, and boredom. The First Aid kit will come in handy in case of minor scrapes or injuries.

Use Proper Car Seats

Car seats aren’t just for infants. Each age group from birth – age 12 has a recommended seat in the car. For example, from birth-12 months, children should sit in the backseat in a rear-facing car seat. Children 12 and under should sit in the back in a booster chair until they are big enough to fill in a seat belt on their own. When installing a car seat in your vehicle, ensure that it is properly secured for the best possible protection. Make sure your children are protected in the proper age-appropriate car seats.

Pull Over if Necessary

If you children need help reaching something or getting a snack while you’re driving, pull over to the side of the road when it’s safe. Reaching back and taking your eyes off of the road, even for a second, could be disastrous. Also, never text or answer the phone while driving unless you pull over or have a Bluetooth sound system in your car that is connected to your phone. If you need to discipline your kids or talk to them about something serious, pull over for a few minutes to really get your message across.

Everybody Out

Never leave your children in the car while you’re not present. Always take the keys out of the ignition and lock the doors once everyone is out of the car. As a safety precaution, keep a toy up front to remind you that there are children in the car with you, especially if you are particularly busy or stressed.

A Few Other Precautions

• If you’re traveling with both pets and children, be sure to keep the two separate. Securely tether or harness your pet away from your children to make sure no incidents occur.
• Don’t travel with anything distracting or dangerous, such as hot liquids, sharp objects, or large items (balloons, large toys, or big bags).
• Lock all doors while you’re driving to prevent your children accidentally opening them. Also, utilize the child safety locks on your windows to ensure your children don’t accidentally throw items out the car window.

With these helpful tips, the next drive with your kids will be smoother and safer. Don’t forget to buckle up, drive the speed limit, and keep yourself and your kids calm while you drive!

Going on a long trip? Take a peek at our tips for surviving a road trip with your kids.

Playing with your kids is important! It strengthens the bond you have together, along with providing fun downtime during the day, apart from responsibilities or stress.

According to a study on the benefits of playtime, “it may look like leisure time, but when children are playing house, fighting imaginary dragons or organizing a game of hopscotch, they’re actually developing crucial life skills — and preparing their brains for the challenges of adulthood.” Playtime encourages better behavior and team skills, keeps your child healthy, and puts them on the right track to learn.

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There are a ton of benefits both kids and moms get when you take the time to play together, so here are some creative ideas to get playtime started!

Cooking Fun

• Bake cookies
• Start a lemonade stand
• Bake and decorate cupcakes

Get Messy

• Paint together
• Create chalk drawings outside
• Build a piñata with paper mâché

Play Outside & Inside

• Play dress up
• Blow bubbles
• Have a scavenger hunt

Still looking for more fun activities? Try these active crafts to make with your kids! For even more ideas on how to bond with your children, check out GeoPalz Pinterest boards! 

Spring cleaning might seem like a hassle, but it’s a unique opportunity to get your chores done while bonding with your family. Make spring cleaning fun this year with some Mary Poppins inspiration! “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job’s a game!”

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Use these tips to make the spring cleaning chores fun for both you and your kids.

Turn Up the Music!

Turn on an upbeat mix of your favorite songs and your kids’ favorite music. Music will help keep your kids dancing – and cleaning! Turn it into a game where everyone has to freeze with the music turns off in between songs. When the music resumes, so does the cleaning.

Work as a Team

No matter what part of the house you’re cleaning, work together as a team. Working together not only gets the chores done faster, it also teaches your kids teamwork is important. You’ll also be teaching by example how to clean each part of the house. If you have a larger family, form two teams and split up the work – you could even turn it into a competition.

Go Outdoors

Start a water fight with your kids while you wash the cars, rinse the garage floor, or clean patio furniture. Your children could pick up sticks from around the yard and throw them into a pit to have a bonfire with s’mores after the chores are done. Enlist their help planting a garden by letting them drop seeds into the ground. After all the seeds are planted, let them help water the garden (cue water fight round 2!).

Take Breaks

Don’t immediately rush into the next chore once you’ve completed a task. Take a few minutes and celebrate a job well done. Have a snack, read a book, or play with one or two toys for a few minutes. Don’t turn on the TV or start an activity that will distract everyone away from getting back to work. Once you finish your snack or book, it’s time to start the next chore.

Help the Community

Set aside a large box for you and your kids to fill up with gently used clothes and toys that you’d like to donate to local churches or shelters. Make it fun by dressing up for a fashion show and donating outfits that don’t fit or aren’t favorites anymore. Also fill up a box full of food that is at least a couple months away from expiring. Let your kids help out with this task by playing “detective” and sorting the food. Once the boxes are full, explain to your kids that these items are going to other families that need their help.

After the cleaning is done, schedule a family treat! Go to the park, get pizza for dinner, or have a movie night. Rewarding hard work is a sure way to get your children excited to help clean.

While you’re getting the spring cleaning done, don’t forget to put on a GeoPalz to track your steps and physical activity. Spring is a great time to start getting active outdoors again!

Want more ideas on how to get active this spring with your family? Check out our Live Actively, Live Well Pinterest board for inspiration!