Six Ideas To Help Your Kids Get Exercise Indoors
Exercise and play should be an important part of any child’s day, but sometimes, heading outdoors simply isn’t possible.
The weather might be too hot, too cold, or too rainy – or you might have another good excuse to stay inside.
Whatever the reason for skipping outdoor play, it’s important to make sure your little ones have ample opportunity to burn off energy and squeeze in the exercise they need to stay focused throughout the day.
Indoor exercise is still exercise! These fun indoor exercise ideas for kids will get your kids moving even when the weather outside isn’t cooperating.
The next time you’re forced to find ways to exercise indoors, consider these fun indoor exercise options:
1 – Create an indoor obstacle course. The next time your family is faced with a rainy day, recruit the kids to help assemble an obstacle course throughout your house. Use cardboard boxes, sheets and blankets, tables and chairs, string, and other items you available at home to test your child’s balance, agility, strength and coordination.
2 – Turn on the an electronic that encourages movement. If you own a Wii or an Xbox Connect (or another similar device), you know there are tons of games available that can get your kids moving. Try Nickelodeon Fit, which comes equipped with 30 exercise games to get your little ones up and moving, or some of the games that come with the Wii Fit Plus pack, like Rhythm Kung-Fu or my personal favorite, Bird’s-Eye Bull’s-Eye, which will have your kiddos flapping like a bird on your balance board.
3 – Turn to YouTube. You probably know that YouTube is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of workout videos for adults – but did you know there’s fitness content geared toward kids, too? Watch a Fitness Blender Kids workout video together and watch your little ones break a sweat as they follow along. My kids love finding kid friendly yoga videos on YouTube also!
4 – Have a dance party! A dance party can be the perfect way to have some fun in the comfort of your living room. Let your kids pick the playlist, crank up the tunes, and let loose! Use your cell phone’s video camera to capture clips of the action for a music video later on, or turn your dance party into a game of “FREEZE!” by pausing the music once in a while.
5 – Play hopscotch. While you probably shouldn’t use sidewalk chalk indoors, you can use masking tape to outline hopscotch on the floor. Recruit your little ones to help lay the tape to outline squares and numbers, then have fun hopping across the room!
6 – Hula hoop! If you have a basement or other large, open space, letting your kiddos hula hoop indoors can be a fun and easy way to squeeze in some exercise when they can’t play outside. Create fun and silly hula hoop challenges to keep things exciting – see who can keep it up the longest, spin multiple hoops at once, or balance on one leg while hula hooping.
While the easiest way to ensure your kiddos get the exercise they need is to let them run and play outdoors, it isn’t always possible. When bad weather or a case of the “blahs” strikes, keep these fun ways to help your kids get exercise indoors in mind.
What techniques do you use to let your kids exercise inside? Leave a comment and let me know!