Winter Physical Activity Fun

The cold weather and holiday treats can make us lose motivation for physical activity this time of the year!  Stay active by making physical activity fun for the whole family.  Why not start a fun physical activity challenge when the kids are home from school?  Pick a new physical activity to do for each day of the week!  Keep track on a chart at home.

Here's an example of a chart to help track your child's progress!  To download your own copy of a tracking sheet, click here. 

Here are some fun ideas to get you started:

Indoor activities

• Dance, Dance, Dance --  Turn on music and have the kids dance to 3 or more of their favorite songs!  You can also find some great children's dance videos on YouTube to get the kids moving.
• Hot Lava --  Set pillows up in a course around the house.  The goal is to travel from pillow to pillow without touching the ground.  This gets the kids jumping and moving!  Have them make a story to go along with the game!
• The Exercise Hat -- Fill a hat with different activities like toe touches, jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups and high jumps.  Have the kids pick from the hat and do the activity as many times as they can.
• Make a Yoga Routine -- Watch kids yoga videos with your child.  Teach them 3-4 moves and then have them make their own sequence.  Listen to relaxing music to set the mood.
• Indoor Bowling -- Use plastic cups or empty water bottles to set up an indoor bowling alley.  Let kids roll a bouncy ball and knock over the cups.  Then see how quickly they can clean up and reset the alley!
• Indoor Hopscotch -- Use masking tape to set up an indoor hopscotch course.  Use a bean bag to toss and hop to the square you land on.  Be a good role model and play along with the kids!

Outdoor Activities

• Ride Bikes -- Bundle up with scarves and gloves and take the bikes out for a spin. 
• Have an Outdoor Scavenger Hunt --  Make a list of 10 things that you may see during a walk.  Try a new path or a new course and have the kids check items off the list that they see or find.
• Play in the Snow --  If it's snowing let the kids have a shoveling contest and see who can build the largest pile of snow.   Making snow angels and snow men count too!