Blogging through the Alphabet with Hobbies: Fishing and Fitness

This week we have come to letter F in our blogging through the alphabet journey. Fishing and fitness are two of the hobbies that our family enjoys. We all fish somewhat, but my two older boys find the most enjoyment from that hobby. Fitness is a hobby we would like to find more time for but we getting better and enjoy fitting it into our schedule where we can, and bonus for mom, it counts as the physical education portion of our school day.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

I grew up fishing with my dad, though I like catching more than fishing (or waiting for the fish to bite) so I would bring my book on the boat and read until the fish started biting. I still occasionally fish, but my older boys absolutely adore it and thankfully my dad is more than willing to oblige them. It is a wonderful hobby that provides them with hours of time spent chatting with my dad and my husband, some tasty meals, and a good appreciation for the rivers and nature. My boys started fishing as soon as they were old enough to hold a fishing pole, and many people have told me that my five-year-old could out fish a lot of adults. They learn how to bait their own hooks, cast out, reel in the fish, take the fish off the hook, and then either release the fish or how to clean and prepare the ones we keep. They can even use a cast net to catch their own bait. This is a great hobby to get children outside and connecting with nature and family. If your family doesn’t fish, but you would like to try, many wildlife agencies, or fish and game departments, often offer kids fishing days that are free or very inexpensive. At those events they provide equipment and assistance. There are also charter or guide services that can provide a great personalized experience and are a great option if you really want to maximize one or two days a year on the water. If you’re local to Eastern North Carolina you can check out www.fishibx.com or Ricks Brothers Outdoors (@rickbrothersoutdoors1).

Fitness is one of those things that is really important, can be really fun, but is also easy to push to the back burner. Different things work for different families, but we have found that we have to be intentional about putting fitness on the calendar. We also are more likely to enjoy it and keep it up if we are working on a goal or doing something as a family. My husband enjoys running and recently my older two children have been joining him 2-3 times per week. They trained all summer and just competed in a 5K a couple of weeks ago. They did a great job and are looking forward to their next event in November. Having those baseline times and a new event to train for is very motivating for them. As a family we also enjoy bike riding, hiking, and taking walks. I don’t always meet my goal but I try to go for a walk with my two youngest children five times a week. These walks allow my five-year-old to get out some of his abundance of energy, they help me meet health goals, and my toddler enjoys the ride in the stroller. If the five-year-old is not with me, I enjoy listening to podcasts while I walk as a way to relax and enjoy the time spent moving.

In addition to those daily walks, we all enjoy a variety of workouts from Fit2B. Sometimes I do a workout by myself while everyone else is out on a run, sometimes we do core workouts together to help them strengthen their core (in a way that is tummy safe) in addition to their running, and sometimes when the littles are really wiggly and we can’t go outside, I just turn on one of the kids workouts to get them moving. There are many options from simple stretches, day to day movements, targeted workouts, and more intensive cardio. If you are interested in finding out more about Fit2B, you can check out one of their kids workouts here or check out the Fit2B website for more information.

Do you enjoy fishing? What are your family’s favorite fitness activities or resources? What letter ‘F’ hobby is a favorite in your home? Share with me in the comments, I always look forward to hearing from you.  Don’t forget to click the link below to check out all of the other wonderful letter ‘F’ blog posts from this week and come back next week for letter ‘G’.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

Sally Clarkson just launched her newest book, a devotional for moms! You can purchase it at Amazon now .

We have been listening to Alice in Wonderland on audiobook to prepare to watch a live version of the play this week. I had forgotten just how ‘crazy’ the book feels. If you are interested in listening to it, it is only .66 on audio right now.

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!