Fuel Up and Play (and Get a Chance to Hang with Quarterback Andrew Luck!)
If you were anything like me growing up, we’d go outside and play in the neighborhood until the street lights came on. Our moms didn’t set up playdates; we just went outside and all the kids were there – riding bikes, playing kickball, fishing in creeks. We used our imaginations to build forts, invent new games, and most of all, run around outside all day with our friends.
Today, times have changed. Kids have swapped face-to-face chatting with text messaging, and tree climbing with TV watching. In this age of technology, it’s often a challenge to get kids off the couch and into the yard to interact with each other in-person instead of online. Even as adults, we too can be crippled by technology, handcuffed to our phones, tablets and computers, making playtime as a family a challenge.
Studies show physical activity, in combination with good nutrition, is essential to a healthy lifestyle.1 To empower families and communities around the country to get up and get active, Quaker is joining forces with Fuel Up to Play 60 and the NFL to encourage families them to get active for 60 minutes of play a day. Now through December 1, 2014, parents can enter the Quaker Make the Play contest at QuakerMakethePlay.com by sharing the unique ways their family plays – whether an invented game in the backyard or an original way to get active and get moving on the playground. The best part? The grand prize winning family will get a “Day of Play*” in their hometown with 75 of their closest friends and Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Andrew Luck.
We recently spoke with Luck about his commitment to this campaign and working with Quaker.
“While I’m not a parent, I know families often need inspiration and motivation to eat right and stay active. I’m proud to partner with Quaker for the third year in a row and to support its partnership with Fuel Up to Play 60, because teaming up with Quaker allows me to continue to help parents inspire their kids to live the type of holistically healthy lifestyle that has made me successful.”
Luck also cited his appreciation for his parents and their effort to play together with him and his sister.
“As a kid, it was always fun for me when we would be outside. My dad would get home from work and throw the football with us, shoot basketball hoops or kick a soccer ball. And if my dad couldn’t, my mom would be out there with us. It meant a lot to me that my parents would still come out and have fun with us after the work day.”
In addition to getting active, Luck knows the importance starting his day off with a wholesome breakfast like oatmeal made with milk and fruit. Whole grain oats in particular are a great way for families to fuel up before playtime. In fact, a 40 gram serving of whole grain oats with a glass of low-fat milk can help keep you full through the morning.²
For more details and to enter your family’s creative game in the Quaker Make the Play contest, visit QuakerMakethePlay.com.
Do you and your family have a special game you play together? Tell us in the comments below or share with other parents across the country via the #QuakerPlayMaker hashtag.
About Quaker Oats: Quaker has been helping to fuel and inspire families for more than 135 years by offering nourishing products made with whole grain oats, educating families on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and seeking partners that offer physical activity solutions. Partners like Fuel Up to Play 60 help continue that mission.
This post is sponsored by Quaker Oats.
*“Day of Play” is three hours of play with Andrew Luck
1. American College of Sports Medicine, American School Health Association, GENYOUth Foundation, National Dairy Council, The Wellness Impact: Enhancing Academic Through Healthy School Environment, March 2013.
2. National Dairy Council. Oats + Dairy: A Powerful Combination. 2014: http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org
