Remember when parents worried about their kids running across the street to chase after that loose ball, or when parents had to clean up their child’s cuts and scrapes because he or she fell off the jungle gym, or even when parents would say, “Stay in the front yard”?

For many parents, those days are gone. Why? Because gaming systems have captured their children’s interests, and it just won’t let them go, even for a quick bike ride around the block with other neighborhood kids.

My Gym Enterprises co-founder, Monique Vranesh, offers some tips to parents to get their kids to turn off the video games and go outdoors for some fresh air and exercise:

1. Walk whenever possible. Walk to the park, to the library, to school or just walk around the neighborhood. Also encourage walking by parking further away from your destination instead of hunting down the parking stall closest to the entrance.
2. Make walking fun! Play games like “Eye Spy” or “Letter Find,” count different objects, do tree bark rubbings, sing songs, or take a teddy bear or doll for a stroll.
3. Play outdoor games in your own backyard. Play “Follow the Leader,” “Hopscotch,” “Hoola Hoop,” or the classic “Simon Says.”

My Gym offers early physical education facilities aimed at giving children skills, confidence and a positive self-images. On Oahu, a My Gym is located in Enchanted Lakes Shopping Center in Kailua.