It’s important for kids to stay active, which can be challenging in winter when they only play outside if it snows! These 4 fun ideas will not only keep them off the couch, but also create smiles and burn up some of that unbounded energy!
Dance, Dance in the Living Room!
No video games required – just some music and attitude. Tell your kids it’s party time and invite their friends to join. To burn 200-400 calories per hour, include rigorous dance moves such as the Macarena or Electric Slide. But if you’re no choreographer, there are simpler ways to keep them grooving too. Grab a broomstick and see how low they can go with a limbo challenge. Or for nighttime fun, give them glow-sticks to boogie around with.
Change Is Good
Let your kids become decorators for a day, and help you rearrange the furniture. Create a simple floor plan and make cutouts to represent furniture and other items. Have the kids plan where things will go, then divide and conquer the work. Moving furniture can burn 300-500 calories per hour by using upper and lower body strength. Leave the light things for the kids, and enjoy their proud smiles of accomplishment from a job well done. It might even bring a whole new feng shui to your house.
Make It Sparkle Together
Make housework a fun team event. Give each child their own tasks and put some fun twists in – like “slide-dusting” the floors with old towels tied to their feet. Spread out different laundry baskets and have a sock match-and-toss challenge for all ages. Calories burned ranges from 150-300 or more per hour. Older kids can really get a workout by vacuuming, and smaller tikes will feel special when you trust them with the duster or mop.
Get a Clue
Exercise their body and mind with a scavenger hunt. Hide fun clues throughout the house. Unlike a traditional scavenger hunt, clues can also include movement cues. For example, slither around the room like a snake while looking for your next clue.
