Living in the northeast can be beautiful.  We get a full range of seasons; fall colors, snow, spring flowers, and warm summers, however, there is a downside too. For nearly 6 months out of the year, it’s too cold to go outside on a regular basis. In addition to colder weather, the fall and winter months have many overeating holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Valentine’s Day, causing a long stretch of time where it’s very hard to control our weight.

So, how do we keep our kids active during the cold season? There are plenty of indoor play places, classes and activities like martial arts, ice skating, roller skating and basketball to name a few. Priced at an average of $15-20 for a class or admission, these indoor activities can be a drain on the wallet, and much more expensive than a summer bike ride or trip to the playground.

Some Healthy Suggestions

The dance party: Blast your kid’s favorite music and enjoy a dance party in your living room. Couple this with daily chores, vacuuming, sweeping, moping and you’ve got a little helper who gets a daily allotment of exercise to boot!

Sock skating: Perfect exercise for non-carpeted floors

Obstacle courses: Run from the living room to the bedroom, do 5 jumping jacks, skip to the kitchen, do a silly dance, and back to the living room. Get creative!

Races: Bunny hop, crab walk, wheelbarrow or walk up and down the stairs. Even clean up races work well!

Balloons: Blow up a bunch of balloons and see who can keep one in the air for the longest time.

Jump rope: Ideal for a basement or a room with a high ceiling

Small purchases: A small trampoline, Twister or an over-the-door basketball hoop can create hours of calorie burning fun!