Fun ways to get your kids active at home

All fun and games

Fun ways to get your kids active at home

By Samantha Andersen

Nevada News Group

Staying active is just as important for our kids. Children need the daily activity to grow strong and healthy, but it improves sleep, mood and can even impact their grades in school.

Considering the current environment around schools and sports, getting your kids active can be a hard thing to do. However, it is important to try. Kids and teens ages 6 to 17 need 60 minutes of activity every day. That may sound like a lot, but it doesn’t have to be all at once. A little movement here and there can really add up.

Here are some ways you can squeeze some activity into your child’s day. Dance

My daughter’s favorite time of the day is when I start our dance playlist. Honestly, it is mine too. Shaking and grooving like fools in our living room, we shake out the stress and any tension built up from the day. It is especially helpful in that witching hour before daddy is home and dinner. The best thing is you don’t need anything more than music.

Encouraging dancing in your children has many benefits as well. Dancing improves coordination, encourages self-expression through movement, and fosters confidence. My favorite is the laughter and connection a mini dance party creates.

So if you find yourself tense from a long day of trying to work, trying to get your kids to work, and frayed nerves, try turning on some music and shaking it out together.

Play

A fun way to get movement in during the day is to create some games. It might take some thought and creativity depending on your day and schedule, but getting the kids moving is worth it. While watching shows, use commercial time to do pushups or jumping jacks.

Create obstacle courses with chalk outside or use tape on the floor in the house and set the kids loose. A favorite of ours is bubbles with letters in the middle in chalk, my daughter jumps on each reciting the letter of the alphabet. We did number hopscotch when we were working on our numbers, as well.

Walk

Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be simple as taking a walk in the morning or evening together or sending the kids out on their bikes. You have the added benefit of getting out of the house and breathing fresh air as well.

https://fit.sanfordhealth.org/

Stretch/yoga

Start out the day with stretches or yoga. Yoga is an excellent way to help children with stress. With the emphasis on breathing, stretching, and relaxing it could be a helpful tool to use. Schoolwork from home, social distancing, and canceled sports/activities are causing a heightened amount of stress in our children. YouTube has an abundance of yoga videos available for children of all ages.

There are also fun programs you can trial and subscribe to that are catered to children; cosmickids.com is a great example.

It doesn’t have to be overly complicated, but the movement is important. Remember, children need 60 minutes of activity a day to stay healthy. If creativity fails you, have them vacuum or mop the house, it counts!