Maggies nephew out for a stroll

We’ve all been cooped up in our houses for months. Maybe the kids are going stir crazy. Maybe you are going a little stir crazy. So what are some fun activities for kids that will help them burn off all that energy?

The possibilities for moves with kids are endless. But one trick is to try and find moves that kids think are fun and make movement playful. Movement should be a little playful, but it’s an aspect of movement we sometimes lose when we grow up. You may find that coming up with fun moves with your kids may help rekindle a little joy of moving for you too.

Activities for Kids

Start there: what type of movement did you enjoy when you were a kid? Did you play tag? Maybe you liked walking. Did you just move around and be silly? Maybe just tell your kids you’ll mimic any moves they do and then try to follow them (good luck)! Did you and your siblings have wheel barrow races or piggy back races?

Keep it Simple

Also, remember you can be simple. You don’t have to come up with incredible Instagramable moves for your kids. Go back to basics and kick a soccer ball back and forth or toss a ball. Moves like this can also give you the opportunity to talk with your kids. And they just might reveal something they need to get off their chest.

You can also go for a walk or a run. Download and app like SEEK by INaturalist and suddenly your walk becomes a science lesson where you can name any plant you walk by.

Dance

When I was a little girl I was always dancing in my bedroom or turning on showtunes and choreographing them with my mom. Just dance. You don’t need any specific moves. One of my go to’s is always Chubby Checker’s the Twist. It’s quite a workout if you make it all the way through the song.

Balance

Balance is so important, but for kids every balance exercise can be turned into a game. Balancing can be silly and make us laugh (something we all need now). You can challenge each other to see who can balance in certain positions longer. Want to make it really hard? Close your eyes (but be careful—it’s not worth getting hurt).

Be Gentle

We sometimes forget that breathing is movement. Maybe this is a good opportunity to teach your kids some breathing exercises that can help them calm themselves.

Important Take Aways for Activities with Kids

Movement is vital to our overall happiness. It helps with our physical and mental health. That’s why finding activities for kids is so important, especially right now. Just remember movement should be fun, it should feel good, it can be a tool to help kids relieve stress or overcome fear, and it should be something they do for the rest of their lives. Maybe if you are a big kid you need a reminder about all those facts too!

Check out this video offering ideas about activities for kids from NBC’s Kids Connection:

Keep Reading:

Kids can make workouts extra challenging.  Click here to read how this happened to Maggie.

One tip to make exercises more convenient.

Are you kind with yourself or harsh with yourself in order to motivate yourself to exercise and eat well?

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