When winter weather hits, it’s hard to find any motivation to get moving. It’s the time of year bundle up, drink hot cocoa and cuddle up by the fire with loved ones. The last thing you are thinking about this time of year is getting much exercise because you are likely staying indoors, celebrating with lots of food over the holidays and trying to get around town everyday despite snow on the ground.
The problem with this is that your kids aren’t made to sit still or live indoors; they need exercise all year and a reason to get moving. When you’re tempted to find calm activities like coloring and baking to keep your kids occupied this season, consider trying out some of these winter exercises that will not only get their heartrates up, but will put a smile on their face.
Snowmen and Snowball Fights
One of kid’s favorite things to do in the wintertime is to play in the snow. Surprisingly, this winter break activity is actually offering your kids a lot of great exercise opportunity. Building a snowman is not only fun, it keeps the kids active over the holidays between piling the snow up and lifting repetitiously to add more to the snowman. Motivate the kids with this unexpected exercise by offering items around the house for the kids to dress it up and create the perfect face.
Along with building snowmen, kids love to have a good snowball fight. This actually takes more endurance than you’d think and the kids can work off the holiday candy from their stocking by having a friendly competition with their neighborhood friends. Just make sure the kids don’t pack them too hard or throw them at anyone’s head.
Lastly, build snow forts! This can be lots of fun and there are many ways to get creative with it. If you have a trampoline, it can serve as the perfect base for building around… so long as safety is kept in mind.
A Winterized Trampoline?
Speaking of trampolines… Did you know there’s a trampoline that can be used even in the wintertime? You may have thought this favorite backyard activity was only meant for summer days but now the kids can enjoy it all year. Thanks to newer technology, there is now a weather-resistant trampoline called the Springfree Trampoline. The technology used makes it one of the safest trampolines on the market featuring the highest quality materials for a longer-lasting product: A UV-resistant safety enclosure preventing deterioration and double powder coated steel for a durable product that won’t rust. This trampoline option is not only safer to jump on but you lose the springs and the hard metal frame of a traditional trampoline. Check out these safety tips for any trampoline before jumping into action.
Try Out New Gear
Did you get the kids some great winter gear from Santa this year? Have the kids try out their new snowboard and sleds at a local neighborhood park hill. It’ll give them practice before your next family trip to the slopes. Winter sports outside are the perfect way to exercise while having fun because kids already love spending time in the snow.
Stay Indoors
If it’s a really cold day, you may better off trying some great indoor activities. Your kids won’t realize they are exercising when they are doing fun activities indoors like jump roping, doing headstands or having a dance party. You could set up a scavenger hunt around the house in which the kids race to a final prize you’ve come up with. Try a pillow fight instead of a snowball fight or play a game of Follow the Leader involving jumping jacks. You could even have the kids help clean up around the house or shovel some snow to earn some extra allowance money.
You wouldn’t think these fun games and activities are ways that your kids are actually getting exercise without knowing it, but it’s the perfect way to have fun indoors or outdoors during the coldest time of year. Your kids will be too busy having fun with these activities that they won’t realize how much energy they are burning off that will beat the winter weather blues. Try these ideas for your kids and watch how the winter season becomes one of their favorite times of the year!
