Does your school-age child seem to ooze with energy from sunup to sundown?
Put that energy into action by including planned physical activity ideas in your child’s day. Physical activity is an important part of your child’s growth and development.
The benefits of physical activity
There are many benefits children obtain from being physically active each day. Some of the top benefits include:
- Enhanced brain development
- Strengthened muscles and bones
- Strengthened heart and lungs
- Reduced risk of childhood obesity and its side effects
- Social and emotional benefits
Indoor physical activity ideas
Children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Providing fun, engaging ways for your child to move can help your child achieve this goal. Try these fun activities to get your child moving:
- Turn on the Tunes: Turn on your favorite music and dance together.
- Keep the Balloon Up: Using at least one balloon, throw the balloon in the air and try to keep it from hitting the ground. Mix it up by adding more balloons to the fun.
- Scavenger Hunt: Gather various objects to hide in the house. Get your child exploring and moving as they try to find the objects. Take turns on who hides or who searches for the objects.
- Obstacle Course: Build your own obstacle course by setting up various “stations” for your child to pass through. Some ideas for stations are:
- Crawl through a tunnel made with two chairs and a blanket
- Hop across a bridge made of bubble wrap
- Cross the room on a path of pillows
- Balance across a beam
- Jump over a safe object
- Front roll (somersault) to the next station
- Create your own ideas to add!
- Tape Line Challenge: Using strips of masking tape about two feet in length, create horizontal lines one foot apart from each other; the more lines, the longer the challenge. Encourage your child to use various moves to get from the first line to the last line without touching the tape. Your child can move by:
- Hopping on one leg
- Jumping
- Long jumping (jumping over multiple lines)
- Running
- Walking
Keeping your child physically active will benefit your child not only today but will help your child develop the foundation for a healthy lifestyle as your child continues to grow and develop.
Learn more
- Fun ideas to get your family moving
- Get kids active early with family fitness
- Childhood exercise: How much do they need each day?
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Healthy Living, Parenting
