My friend Jan constantly inspires me with the creative ideas she comes up with for her grandchildren. Her latest project reminded me of the story of Rumpelstiltskin, who spun straw into gold.

Jan fashioned a bridal gown for her almost eight-year old granddaughter from a roll of white tablecloth paper left over from a backyard party.

Jan and Kyah were putting away the art supplies after a session on the dining room table. As she put the box on the garage shelf, Kyah wrapped the red plastic table cloth, used to cover the dining room table, around her body and asked: “Grandma can we make a dress out of this for me?”

Jan said “no” because the kids were going to be with them overnight and she knew from experience the art box would be out at least one more time before they went home and she would need the plastic cover to protect the table. It was obvious Kyah was disappointed. Then Jan spotted the roll of white tablecloth paper and the idea for the dress was born.

“She wasn’t sold on the white paper until I started gathering the paper for the skirt,” Jan told me. “She thought the gathers looked like roses and was quite impressed with my skills!”

“Grandma how do you know how to do this?” Kyah asked her. (Ah, the magic of grandma creativity!) Jan wrapped her torso in paper, fashioned straps, and then connected it all with clear packing tape. She wrapped the gathered skirt around Kyah’s waist and taped her up.

“The paper was stiff and had a pattern embossed on the edges so it puffed out perfectly and rustled and swished just right when she walked. She barely fit through the door into the house from the garage to show Grandpa! While she was gone, I used some scrap paper left from the bodice of the dress to make a veil. We grabbed some flowers from a vase on the counter and we had our “bride!”

“It was the best 15 minutes I’ve spent with a roll of paper and packing tape in a long time—and a great memory for Kyah and me to share!”

I love the Lilith Fair—the women’s music festival co-founded by Sarah McLachlan that ran for three consecutive summers beginning in 1997. It was a summer ritual I looked forward to. I attended all three of them at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Ten years ago, the 22,000-seat venue was packed with women and the feminine energy was as hot as the afternoon sun on the lawn seating area.

When I heard that Lilith Fair was making a comeback this summer, I called my GaGa buddy, Barb, and we both got lawn seats. This year’s tour still carries the message of female empowerment and community along with a loving layer of nostalgia. Shoreline was the sixth stop out of 23 dates around the country and featured McLachlan, Heart, the Bangles, and the hot new pop vocalist, Colbie Caillat.

Despite the low turn out, Lilith still had the magic that I remembered but on a more intimate level. For me it’s as much a social event as a concert. Instant friendships are made in the lines to get in which lasted over 90 minutes. People reminisce about who they saw ten years ago and speculate about this year’s line up. Then there’s the partying on the lawn as people stake out their spots and bring out their picnics.

Barb and I always opt for the lawn seats—not just because they’re cheaper—but because you can get up and dance. The weather was spectacular for our concert. All the people around us were splayed out on blankets, soaking up the afternoon sun. I noticed a group of women in front of us and one looked familiar. She was another GaGa who had just joined the GaGa Sisterhood a few months earlier! Lilith attracts all ages, from old hippies to young college coeds. When I was dancing to the Bangles, a young woman came down beside me and asked if she could dance with me!

When Caillat took the main stage, I walked down to stand at the railing behind the reserved seats and stood beside a young woman. She was singing along in such a beautiful voice she could easily have done back up for the performer. The Bangles had everyone up on their feet when they sang “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like an Egyptian.” But it was Heart—the sister act of vocalist Ann and guitarist Nancy Wilson—who really rocked the house with “Crazy on You.”

Sarah McLachlan closed the show and totally engaged the crowd with her personal, intimate style of chatting and singing. She brought the rest of the cast back for an encore of another classic rock cover, “Because the Night” by Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen.

When Barb and I finally packed up our gear, we’d been rocking for ten hours. I left still feeling the glow of that magical day and the warmth of wonderful energy that women can create through music and community.

We want to do whatever we can to give our kids an opportunity to have a healthy, productive life. We save for their college educations. We take them for regular doctor appointments. We try to make sure they eat the right foods.

But what about exercise?

Not only are kids who exercise regularly less likely to become overweight, they also have less of a risk of developing type 2 diabetes and have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than kids who are inactive. In addition, studies show that they sleep better and handle physical and emotional stress more easily.

Whether you are a mom, a grandma, or a caretaker, here’s something to consider: the exercise habits that kids form when they are young will likely be the ones they’ll carry with them into adulthood.

Five Ways to Get Your Kids Exercising

1. Limit TV. Any mom or grandma knows that TV can make kids sluggish and cranky. So turn the screen off. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids under the age of 6 watch an average of 2 hours of TV a day, while kids and teens from 8 – 18 years spend almost 4 hours a day watching TV and almost 2 additional hours playing video games or spending time on the computer. Set limits on the amount of TV time allowed in your house. Find what works for your family and create a schedule for no TV on weekdays or weekends. The time freed up will open doors for other activities and a change of scenery can go a long way in turning that sluggishness around.
2. Get up and out. If your kids or grandkids are young, be intentional about taking them outside regularly. Take advantage of local parks and nature trails. Climbing on a play set and swinging from the monkey bars can be great exercise for young kids. If yours are older, plan a hike and have them invite a friend. Or get them a new football or Frisbee and toss the first throw. Find out what sports or activities your kids enjoy and sign them up. Look into your city’s Parks and Recreation department and see what classes or teams are offered. Have your kids try a variety of activities until they find one or two that they love.
3. Drive less. Is your kids’ or grandkids’ school within walking distance? What about their friend’s houses? If you have young children, walk with them instead of driving. Leave the stroller at home, and leave the house early so you have time to stop and let them look at bugs or smell the flowers without being late. If your kids are older, add something they might consider fun. Walk to the movie rental store and let them pick out the movie or video game. Ride bikes to soccer practice and have them lead the way. They may not be enthused about the idea at first, but your example can be contagious. And it’s good for the environment too.
4. Make it fun. Create opportunities for exercise to be fun. Come up with a contest and join in. Who can do the most pushups in a minute? Who can swim the fastest lap in the pool? Race your kids to the mailbox. Or have them race each other. My kids love it when I judge their cannon balls, rating them from 1 to 10. They’ll keep jumping in and out of the pool until I tell them to stop. When kids are focused on a goal or trying to win, especially if they’re trying to beat their parents, exercise can be twice as fun.
5. Set an example. Maybe the most important thing we can do to encourage our kids to be active is to be active in our own lives. Make exercise a priority, even if you can only fit a ten minute walk or a thirty minute exercise video into your day. It will go a long way in reducing the stress that often comes with parenting. And don’t go overboard or burn yourself out. Our kids pick up on our attitudes, so simply make exercise a positive part of your routine. Invite your kids to go bike riding or play tennis. Bring them to the gym with you. Go for an evening walk. Kids learn more from what we do than what we say, and a child who grows up seeing his or her mom or dad living actively will most likely follow in those footsteps. Or should I say running shoes?