Let's Play Ball with a Lunch and a Fun Game!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Let's Play. I was compensated, but all opinions are my own.

Is your family into playing sports or even just having a ball while playing outside? This is what this lunch is all about. Also, I'm really excited to tell you that I am partnering with Let's Play to give parents some exciting ideas on how to get outside and play in fun and healthy ways! Periodically, I will pass on recipes for a healthy and fun lunch and then show you a great game that will get the whole family outside and active.

Let's Play is an initiative from the Dr Pepper Snapple Group which gives families the tools, places, and inspiration to get active together on a daily basis. They partner with KaBOOM!, which helps build and improve playgrounds, and Good Sports, which provides grants for sports equipment! How cool is it that this year I get to be a Play Ambassador for such an exciting partnership? Of course being active helps families live balanced lifestyles, but it also is an important part of helping kids grow physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. If you want to find out more about how Let's Play will help close to 10 million kids by 2017 visit them at LetsPlay.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.Today's lunch would be fun to make for a special day where you take it out to the park to eat and then play the game "Bucket Ball" described below. Directions for the game are on the Let's Play website. Both the lunch and the game are easy and don't call for many supplies!

Ingredients
Whole wheat bread
Sliced white cheese
Grilled chicken strips
Broccoli
Hummus
Mandarin orange
White cheese round covered in red wax
Yogurt covered raisins

Directions
1. Cut a football shape from one slice of bread. Repeat with second slice. Cut football stripes and laces from one piece of white cheese. In main container, place one slice of bread, top with grilled chicken, and put the second piece of bread on top. Arrange cheese pieces on top of football as shown in picture.

2. Surround football with broccoli and fill a round container with your child's favorite dipping sauce. Place container in the middle of broccoli. I used hummus because it is healthier and tasty.

3. Draw basketball lines with black marker on the skin of a mandarin orange. Place in side dish.

4. Cut off the top of the round of cheese covered in red wax. Cut pentagon shapes out of the cut wax and place back on cheese to make it look like a soccer ball. In second side dish, drop in yogurt covered raisins and place soccer ball cheese on top.

5. Take lunch out to your favorite park and play "Bucket Ball" game shown below (directions for game play are on the Let's Play site).

Bucket Ball
My family loves to go to the park. However, sometimes you need to have something a little different to play. Actually, Bucket Ball can be played almost anywhere! You can play it in your backyard or just a large grassy area. It can be played with 2 or more players. The more the merrier, though. Don't let adults skip out on the action either. It's important for us parents to get out and be active with our kids as well. 

The beauty of this game is that the basic idea is simple but it's fun and competitive for little kids and older kids alike. It also helps kids to count and work together. Plus, it lets everyone run around for short bursts of time. Head on over to my article on Let's Play to see the directions.