Even just playing with your children in the garden is good exercise

1. If your garden is big enough or you have a park nearby why not try a game of rounders? It’s great for practising throwing skills, hand eye coordination and running. Pack some lemonade and cucumber sandwiches and you’ll have a charming setting straight from an Enid Blyton novel. Try the Junior Rounders Set from www.argos-sports.co.uk for a large range of goals, starting at £29.99.

6. Skipping ropes are great fun and even better exercise both as a solitary and group activity, so buy a short one and a longer one for one or two to skip in, the schoolyard rhymes will come flooding back. For lovely old-fashioned wood-handled skipping ropes in different lengths visit www.toypost.co.uk

7. If you want to splash out this summer, you can’t do better than a large trampoline for the garden. Kids love bouncing and will be the envy of their friends, check out www.johnlewis.com for a large range of good quality trampolines and special offers when you buy with a bounce surround, recommended for small children.

8. If your kids have a lot of excess energy to use up, why not enrol them in martial arts classes? Forever cool among children, martial arts are a great form of exercise, as well as teaching self-control and self-defence. Judo, karate and kung fu are the most widely available types, but be sure to check the instructor’s qualifications as, taught badly, martial arts can be dangerous.

9. If you know other parents who are keen to get their children active, why not team up and have a mini sports day for your neighbourhood. Egg and spoon, three-legged and wheelbarrow races are all easy to organise and good fun, and with a few sweets for prizes everyone will be joining in.

10. If all else fails and you really can’t motivate your children to partake in outdoor exercise, invest in a Nintendo Wii with Wii Sports game (£164.99). The games simulate tennis, boxing and baseball, among others, both active and fun.