Ways to get the wiggles out while staying inside!
Tiring out children (especially energetic children) is always tricky and now, due to the sudden changes in their routines and lives, it is important to have your kids “get the wiggles out.” Exercise is proven to be a stress reliever and because it releases endorphins, it is a great way to cheer up any bored or grumpy kid (adults too)! Here are some great ideas to get your little ones moving around in a fun way:
- Exercise with a book or tv show!
Start by choosing a book or tv show for your child to read or watch. Before they start reading/watching it, try to find a few words that come up often in the book/show. Then assign exercises to each of these words. Any time the word appears, anyone reading/watching the media has to do that exercise. This is a great way to combine sedentary actions with exercise!
Ex. If we chose The Cat in the Hat, we could choose the words cat, mat, and hat (all words that appear more than once in the book). For the word “cat,” the exercise could be five jumping jacks. For the word “mat”, the exercise could be two push-ups, and for “hat” the exercise would be ten high-knees. Anytime these words appear, we would pause reading to complete the exercises!
- Have a dance party or have your little ones choreograph a dance!
For a dance party, choose a fun list of upbeat songs that your kids know and love. Then play DJ as your kid dances around the room. If you find that your little one wants more of a challenge, try making your dance party into freeze dance with freeze poses. That means that every time you stop the music/switch songs call out a pose for them to freeze in (like monkey or flamingo).
For choreographing a dance, choose a song that your child knows well. Next, give them three to five moves that they have to include in their dance (the more moves they have to include, the longer it will take them to make up the dance)! Then play the music over and over until they have finished making up their dance. Once they are ready, announce their “dancer name” and watch them perform. Make sure to shower them with applause!
- Follow along with a workout video!
Here are some links to family/kid friendly workout videos:
Family Fun Cardio Workout
YOGA for Children
Tallulah the Owlet (Yoga)
Fun Workouts for Kids
- Create an obstacle course!
Use objects from around your home or outside to create a fun course! You can use sticks to jump over, a table to duck under, or a hula hoop to run around. This is a great way to get your kids moving! If you have competitive children, you can time them or add more challenges. If your child is more creative, try to have them move through the course in different ways (moving through jello, like a monkey, sloth, jellyfish, etc).
These are some great ways to have your kids move around that require very little parental involvement! If you have room to get outside, try to also take your family on walks, hikes, or even short runs. The important thing to remember with all of these activities is to have fun! Stay safe!
The TTK Team.