{"id":8000,"date":"2017-02-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/staying-active-in-winter-tips-and-tricks-for-kids\/"},"modified":"2017-02-07T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T00:00:00","slug":"staying-active-in-winter-tips-and-tricks-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/staying-active-in-winter-tips-and-tricks-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Active in Winter: Tips and Tricks for Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Staying active in the winter months can be a daunting task. Most people would rather stay inside, veg out on the couch, and call it a day. But these kinds of activities don\u2019t support your physical or mental health. As a partner of the Together Counts\u2122 program for healthy, active living, we know there are numerous indoor activities<\/a> <\/span>that can be a good substitute for more typical outdoor sports during the winter months.<\/p>\n

SPARK Lesson Plans<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

If your students are unwilling to go outside, there are several different games\/activities that can be played indoors with little equipment. We\u2019ve put together a collection of lesson plans that are perfect for indoor winter activities. Here are a few worth your attention:<\/p>\n

Rock-Paper-Scissors Tag<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this game, kids partner up, play rock-paper-scissors at the midline, then whoever wins is \u201cIT.\u201d This person chases other players towards the endline. A point goes to the chaser if they tag a runner; a point goes to the runner if they make it safely to the endline. You\u2019ll need cones<\/a><\/span>, and flag belt<\/span>s<\/a> are suggested.<\/p>\n

Paper Plate Aerobics<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this game, kids must keep a paper plate underneath each foot while doing some sort of movement. Examples include lunges, push-ups and crunches. You could also have students use a softball<\/a> <\/span>and play catch with a couple others, without lifting feet off the plates.<\/p>\n

Toy\u2019s Alive!<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this game, everyone spreads out and pretends they are a toy (like in Toy Story). When they hear \u201cAndy\u2019s coming!\u201d they must freeze in position. Students count down from three to one and wait to hear \u201cAll Clear!\u201d to move again. In order to move, they must use a bean bag<\/a> as a \u201cbattery,\u201d balanced on their head or shoulder. If the bean bag falls, the student must freeze until another toy-student helps them out. You\u2019ll need cones<\/a> and bean bags for this activity.<\/p>\n

YMCA\u2019s, Open Gyms and Community Centers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Encourage students to take fitness into their own hands, outside of school. During the winter season, there\u2019s a lot of time over break that should be used to constructively balance holiday indulgence.<\/p>\n

YMCA\u2019s offer a multitude of options for indoor activities that vary depending on the location. A few different things that may be available at your local YMCA:<\/p>\n