I was watching The Today Show a few minutes ago as I was cleaning up breakfast, and caught myself in one of those “You’re talking out loud to yourself” moments - the kind where you actually say out loud, to no one, “You’ve got to be @#$!%* kidding me!” Topic? How to get kids to exercise in front of the TV.

It’s this kind of marketing that makes me want to tear my hair out. OK - so if you have to choose between the XBox and Wii, and your kid is a bit on the portly side, I can see where having this kind of information – that Wii gets your kids up and moving – may be beneficial. But when they highlighted Fisher-Price’s little tot bike that plugs into your TV so that they can exercise while learning their ABCs, well, that’s when my jaw hit the floor.

Seriously? Here on the North Shore, we are surrounded by recreational opportunities that are so much healthier for you. Hey, parents, how about singing the ABC song while tooling down the North Branch trail. This biking/walking trail was recently renovated and quite simply is gorgeous, especially at this time of year. There are several really convenient spots to jump on the trail, with a really prime spot just off of East Lake Avenue near the border of Wilmette and Glenview. Also, this trail runs straight through Chicago Botanical Garden. Fabulous.

Or how about packing up a fall picnic, a football and a frisbee and hanging out at the Skokie Lagoons? Just off the Edens Expressway on the Winnetka border, between Dundee and Willow Rds, the Lagoons are a great place to enjoy the fall foliage, teach the kids about nature, and even try to catch a fish or two.

And then there’s the lake - the walking path on Northwestern’s campus is beautiful this time of year, and on a clear day you can catch a wonderful view of downtown and the skyline. The Open Lands in Lake Forest also offer breathtaking scenery.

The point is, you don’t need to figure out ways to incorporate exercise into your child’s TV habit - you need to figure out ways to take the TV out of the equation altogether. And living around here, there’s no excuse not to - get outside whle the weather’s still beckoning!

Technorati Tags: Cook County IL Forest Preserve, North Branch bike trail, Skokie Lagoons, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Northwestern University, Evanston, Chicago Botanical Garden, North Shore bike trails

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