Great Indoor Workouts for Kids

We all have the potential to go a little stir crazy during the winter months, when we spend more time indoors. This can be especially true for children. Their bodies crave movement. But just because you can't get outdoors doesn't mean you have to be still. Here are some ideas for getting your kids up and moving when the weather outside keeps you in the house:

Throw a dance party

Turn up the music and let the kids loose! They’ll have a blast dancing around the house and getting their heart rates up… Just Dance, Dance, Dance Revolution, and other video games are fun ways to get kids moving and teach them new moves. You could also hop on Youtube for some dance-along videos from channels such as Kidz Bop or GoNoodle…

Build an indoor obstacle course

Use furniture and other household items to create an obstacle course for the kids to navigate. They’ll have to use agility, balance, and coordination to reach the end…

Plan an indoor scavenger hunt

Hide small items around the house and give the kids a list of things to find. They’ll love the challenge of searching high and low for hidden treasures. Search Pinterest for indoor scavenger hunt printables, and remember to find ones with images for younger kids. 

It doesn’t need to be Easter time to have an egg hunt. Pull out those plastic eggs, fill them with something fun, and hide them around the house. Add additional activity by putting in papers with exercises such as “do ten jumping jacks.” The kids will also love it if you let them take turns hiding the eggs. 

Play the classic games

“Simon Says” is a favorite game that will get everyone moving. Take turns giving commands and see who can follow them the best. Don’t forget that they only need to follow instructions if the leader uses the words “Simon Says.” 

“Follow the Leader” is another option for getting kids up and moving. Role model some fun options like marching up the stairs, doing exercises like push-ups, or just shaking the sillies out. Or how about hide and seek? When kids get bored of finding each other, hide a stuffed animal or other objects. 

Turn on exercise videos for kid

Never before have so many exercise videos just for kids been available online! Put one on to teach new skills or just get kids moving in fun ways. Little Sports has kid-friendly videos with fun, simple exercises.

Compete with challenges

Have your kids compete to see how many exercise cards they can do, including arm circles, hula hoops, toe touches, pretending to dribble, and more…

Get silly

Sometimes it will take extra creativity to get kids off the couch and moving. Here are some silly, fun ideas:

• Balloon play: Keep the balloon off the ground, set up a volleyball net, waddle across the room with a balloon between their knees, or make a target for aiming.
• Indoor bowling: Set up pins using empty bottles, lego towers, or paper towel rolls. What fun ideas for pins will your kids think of?
• Sock skating: Hardwood floors and slippery socks make for a fun skating experience! 
• Bubbles: There is something about a bubble that makes kids want to pop it. So, pull out the bubbles, start blowing, and watch your kids run up a sweat trying to pop them all! 

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These tips aren't just for kids. Parents benefit from movement just as much as their children do. So why not join in on the fun?