Most parents would agree, after several weeks of colder temperatures, children start to get a little restless. They’re cooped up, the cabin fever sets in and everyone starts to get a little irritable. Not to worry! Kylee Bennett, Healthy Living School Program Coordinator – Parkview Health, has some creative ideas for keeping your little ones active until the temps climb back up. (They work for adults, too!)
Staying active helps keep kids’ bodies healthy by building strong muscles and bones, decreasing risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improving overall mood. In fact, research has shown that kids who regularly do aerobic activities have larger brains and stronger problem-solving skills. But for children and adults alike, there are times it is just too cold to go outside and get active. Try these fun, budget-friendly activities for healthy movement indoors throughout the chilliest seasons.
7 Ways to Get the Kids Moving This Winter
1. Have a dance party.
2. Go on an indoor scavenger/treasure hunt. Include clues that prompt physical activity.
3. Practice simple yoga poses.
4. Have an indoor snowball fight. Crumple pieces of paper into balls (snowballs), place them in the middle of a room and let the kids have fun!
5. Try indoor skating. Put your child’s feet in the openings of tissue boxes and let them skate around the house.
6. Roll the activity dice. Use cardboard to create your own activity dice. Label one with numbers and one with activities. Ask the kids to come up with the activities. (You can also purchase these online.)
7. Play cards. Let your child pick a different activity to match each of the four suits. Have the kids take turns selecting a card out of the deck and performing the appropriate quantity of the activity selected. For instance, if you choose a 10 of Hearts (Hearts = Jumping Jacks) then everyone would perform 10 jumping jacks. For this activity you don’t even have to have a full deck!
