More fun ideas to get your kid’s active!

Here are a few more games and activities to keep your children less antsy while staying home.

Wiggle Jar

Create activity cards that your child can pull from a jar when they need to get the wiggles out. Some ideas for quick activities:

• Hop like a frog wherever you go for 3 minutes straight
• Jump rope for 1 minute, take a 30 second break and jump rope again
• See how long you can keep a Hula hoop up without it falling (challenge each other)
• Touch your toes 15 times without bending your knees
• See how long you can stand on one foot without falling over (switch sides and try both feet)

The Mirror Game

Stand in front of each other, face to face and take turns mirroring each other’s movements.

• Reach for the sky
• Make a silly face
• 5 jumping jacks
• Head, shoulders, knees and toes
• Make up a silly dance move (the Macarena anyone?)
• Puff up your cheeks
• Mimic brushing your teeth

Watch a Favorite Movie Together

But up the ante! Create activities to do while watching the movie. Examples for watching Frozen II:

• Every time a new song starts: Do 5 sit-ups
• Every time Elsa hears The Sound: Do 10 jumping jacks
• Every time Kristoff tries to propose: Do 3 burpees
• Every time you meet a new element: Do a sun salutation
• Every time Anna worries about Elsa: March in place for 30 seconds

Creative Painting!

Use different objects around the house to paint with. Try,

• Feathers
• Cotton balls or Q-tips
• Dip string or yarn in paint and drag it across paper to see what fun shapes you create
• Rocks
• Straws
• Strips of cloth
• Paint with bubbles! Put a tiny bit of food coloring in some diluted dish soap and bubble solution (Warning: This could get messy but will be super fun)
• Use ice cubes to “paint”
• Don’t have paint? Try using water with any of these objects. Take it outside and draw with water on the concrete or sidewalk.

Scavenger Hunt

This can be done indoors or outside.

• Rainbow scavenger hunt: Try having them find things around the house or yard.Nature scavenger hunt: How many types of leaves can they find? How many seeds, find a gray rock, find a yellow flower, find a rock that is shaped like something else. Find a short leaf, find a long leaf. Can you find a clover?
• Find something that starts with each letter of the alphabet. For example, find an Apple, find a Book, find a Can, etc. You can give them ideas, or let them come up with their own objects. See what they bring back to you!
• Randomize it. Find something made of metal, find something made of fabric, find something fluffy. Use your imagination!

Yogi Says

Like Simon Says, but with a yoga twist!

Let them lead, or take turns. This is a good game because it can be short or it can be long. It can be played with just you and your kiddo or lots of friends! (Over Zoom, of course!)

• Yogi says, Touch your toes
• Yogi says, Stand on one leg and hug your knee
• Put both feet down (Yogi didn’t say!)

Stay tuned for more fun activities here on the blog!