Keeping Your Kids Active- All Winter Long!

One of the best parts of my job is going to the afterschool programs in Southbury and Middlebury and doing teambuilding and group games with the students.  As the winter drags on, it's easy to see that the kids need more and more physical activity the longer they're kept inside!  I'm lucky because the expectation when I walk into the BAS Region 15 Sites is that we're going to run around for an hour (and on the days that the students have indoor recess, they are even more excited about being active).  But, I imagine it's harder to get them fired up about being active at home, especially with homework and other afterschool responsibilities.  Staying active in the winter months is hard, but it promotes happiness and health in too many ways to count!  

So, here are a handful of games and activities to try inside with your kids.  Some of them will even help you accomplish some of your at home goals for the day!  

1.  Commercial Competitions- during commercials of your family's favorite show, challenge your kids to fitness contests.  Who can do the most sit ups?  Who can do more jumping jacks in a minute?  Who is the most flexible?  These friendly competitions will keep your kids moving and spark their interest in their own fitness.  I can't believe how many kids LOVE to show me how many pushups they can do!  You can also set up similar challenges for your kids while they are doing their homework.  Set a timer and get moving each time it goes off (intervals will depend on age and amount of time needed for homework).   

2.  P.E. at Home- ask your kids to show you what they're doing in their phys ed class.  Have them teach you the rules and adapt it to your house.  Don't have a basketball hoop?  No problem, shoot clean sock pairs into the laundry basket (or dirty ones into the washing machine!).   

3.  Cardio Cleaning- get your kids involved with chores around the house and keep them off the couch a little bit longer!  If you have multiple helpers have them compete to see who can mop, sweep, vacuum, or dust the faster.  If you only have one helper, see if they can set a personal record.  Either way, keep track on the fridge and make the reward a healthy one… bragging rights can be enough of a reward sometimes!  You’ll get help around the house and they’ll be surprised what they can do to work up a sweat! 

4.  Invest in a Fitness or Dance Game or DVD- Options to rent, buy, and borrow active games for your wii, Kinect, or DVD player are growing every day!  These games can be a lot of fun and sometimes you can even find them in the On Demand section on TV!  As long as you have power, you can play.  If dance isn’t your kids’ style, try yoga, kickboxing, or tai chi… you’ll be amazed how easy these are to find (check your library)!    

5.  Invent a Family Game- Challenge your kids to come up with an active game they can play inside-- the dirty laundry slam dunk contest is still my favorite!  Check out YouTube for more suggestions!   

A snow day offers even more opportunities to be active, including: building forts, taking a hike, building a snow man, relay races, shoveling, and snowball fights.  And remember, when you take a tour of the Waterbury YMCA, you get a free pass for a week!   

Let me know if you try any of these with your family, I’d love to hear how it goes!