Mountain Bike

Best for kids aged: 4 and up

Where you'll need to go: neighborhood street or bike trail

Things you'll need: bike, helmet, knee and elbow pads

Directions: Many national reserve parks (if you happen to be by one!) offer trails based on difficulty (easy to difficult), so pick out the easiest one to try with the kids. For beginning bikers, have your kid ride his bike while you run along the trail -- or bike alongside him. For advanced bikers, make it feel more like a true mountain biking experience by letting your kids bike along the grass next to a paved bike path.

Why your kids will love it: It's a new spin on an old activity: "mountain biking" transforms their every-day street bike ride into an extreme sport -- when else do kids get the chance to ride their bike in the woods? Plus, mountain biking is a new Olympic sport, so your kids can feel like they're a part of something new.

Safety recommendations: When riding off-road, there might be sticks or other rocks that could cause your child to lose balance.  You can ride in front of them (with hubby following behind them), so you can keep a look out for roadblocks, like fallen trees, sticks or potholes.