With colder weather and shorter days, finding physical activity for your youngsters in the winter is more of a challenge. We are more inclined to snuggling under warm blankets, watching movies and snacking, then strapping on our sneakers and heading outdoors. Despite the weather, it is vital that you show your kids that physical activity is still possible. We’ve come up with 5 indoor activities that will keep your kids active!
Freeze Dance
Dance parties are a great way to burn some energy and get your kids moving. Playing ‘freeze dance’ is easy, and encourages your kids to sharpen their listening skills. First, start dancing to your kid’s favorite tunes, when the DJ stops the music, everyone freezes. The first one to wiggle becomes the next DJ!
Indoor Obstacle Course
What’s more fun than imagining being top secret spies or pirates scouring the ocean for treasure? Turn your living room into an obstacle course that your kids have to tackle to find hidden treasure. Living Well Mom, has loads of ideas. Everything from turning your cushions into tunnels, and color races through the hallway.
Arts & Crafts
Keeping your body active during the winter season is important, but we can’t forget about keeping our minds active as well. During these cold months, it’s harder for children to get outside and explore. Bring the exploration indoors! Using their sensory skills, you can create arts and crafts activities to keep their minds and skills alert. Pinterest is full of great ideas, from Winter Slime to Fake Snow.
Charades
Charades is a family classic. Whether you are acting out movies, TV shows, animals, or even people you know, Charades is a great way to keep kids moving while having some great family laughs!
Netflix, Wii & Internet
If you aren’t able to conjure up the right equipment to turn your living room into an arena; Netflix offers exercise games for kids. There are also a number of games on the Wii that will make you and your kids break a sweat. If all else fails, the internet offers a number of kids exercise routines that will keep them active while staying warm indoors. Here’s one example from YouTube.
Don’t let the cold weather put a damper on your kid’s active lifestyle. Even though they can’t get outside and run around the backyard, there are a number of ways to keep your kids active inside. Try some of these activities with your kids and start the year off in a healthy and active way.
