Keeping Kids Active Indoors
According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, preschoolers should have several hours of free play, plus 60 minutes of structured physical activity, every day. This amount of activity may come easily during the summer months, but now that winter is here, keeping children active may seem next to impossible. Instead of hibernating during those cold months, you might try some of these activities to keep active and enjoy some quality time as a family.
Build an obstacle course: No matter the size of house or age of children, this activity can be changed daily and adjusted so that even the adult of the house can have a good time. Run up the flight of stairs, climb under the kitchen table, crab walk through the living room, walk on a balance beam (aka scarves lined up on the floor) and jump over a book or game.
YouTube: YouTube is good for lots of things, including workout videos. Search kids yoga or kids workouts and find a wide variety of videos for different ages and skill levels from which to choose.
Dance: Turn on the music and let loose. If your children are older, try choreographing your own moves to a song of choice.
Sports: While balls in the house usually may be a no-no, when the weather is cold and kids are stuck indoors, some rules may go out the window. Find a designated area to kick the soccer ball or throw a Nerf ball back and forth.
Commercial Breaks: If the kids are home and finding themselves in front of the television more than normal, use the commercial breaks as exercise breaks. If the commercial is food related, do jumping jacks. If it’s advertising another show, try push-ups. A medication? Run in place or jump rope.
No matter what activity your family prefers, having fun is most important. Enjoy the time together and be creative!
Jessica Heine is a labor and delivery nurse. She lives in Olathe with her family.