8 Ways to Keep Your Kids Active Indoors
There’s nothing quite as fun and rewarding as getting outside as a family to be active. But in geographic areas that experience harsh winters, getting outside can be difficult for many months of the year. It can be easy to fall into a pattern of TV watching and video game playing, but these and other sedentary habits can be harmful in physical and developmental ways. By getting creative, you can come up with fun activities to try out in the warmth of your own home.
Here are just a few ideas:
Cook with your kids. What better way to be active, learn together, and encourage healthy eating? Pick out recipes that feature plenty of wholesome ingredients, and let your kids help you put the meal together. Clean up afterwards as a family and you will have even more opportunity to be active as a unit.
Plan a scavenger hunt. Leave clues throughout the house that lead to a prize at the end. If the weather allows it, make a few of the clues lead outdoors too. The prize can be something as simple as cozy new socks to something as exciting as a note that outlines a planned special outing.
Throw a dance party. This is easy enough. Turn on the radio and crank up the tunes. Let your kids take turns picking their own playlists. Who knows? They may even teach you a move or two.
Set up an indoor obstacle course. Use chairs, tables, boxes and anything else that makes a good cliff or tunnel and turn your home into a temporary challenge course. Make it competitive by timing each other, or working together on relay teams. If your kids are old enough, let them create some of the obstacle course too. Note: Look out for safety and make sure there aren’t any hazardous areas.
Piece together a puzzle. You may not work up a sweat, but working together on a puzzle is great for team-building, bonding, and critical thinking skills. The great thing is that you can pick out a puzzle that has significance to your family as well—perhaps a favorite sports team or even a family photo that has been made into a puzzle. The time you spend together will be much better spent than if you’d just sat in front of a screen.
Redecorate. Roll up your sleeves and transform a room or two in your house with the help of your kids. Rearrange furniture, organize drawers and cupboards, and rehang wall art in new locations. Let your kids have insight into the creative process, too. It will give your kids an enhanced sense of ownership of their own home and keep the entire family active in the process.
Put on a play. Pull out your favorite family storybooks and reenact them or come up with your own original script. Incorporate whatever your family likes the best—singing, dancing, or just being silly. The best part of this idea is that you can repeat it over and over, and no two performances are ever the same.
Watch a workout video. Pop in a workout DVD or pull up content online that will get your family moving in sync. You can even look up specific exercises that you want to learn and then give it a try together. No matter what the weather is like outside, you can find ways to break a sweat with the right workout video.
Being stuck inside does not have to mean giving up your active lifestyle. Instead, look for creative ways to utilize what you have inside to stay fit and involved, even if the weather outside is frightful.
How does your family stay active in the colder months of the year?
SPARK is a research-based organization that provides award-winning, evidence-based programs for Physical Education (K-12), After School, Early Childhood, and Coordinated School Health. Since 1989, SPARK has provided curriculum, training, and consultation to over 100,000 teachers and youth leaders worldwide. Visit www.sparkpe.org to download sample lesson plans, find grant opportunities, and register for free educational webinars and monthly eNewsletters.
If you’d like to read about more ways to get active with your family, take a look at these articles: