Snowball fights are fun, but it quickly gets too cold to play outside. Try a few of these indoor family exercises when it’s time for your kids to spend most of their day indoors. They’ll get everyone moving and keep your family entertained when your kids need to burn off some energy inside.
1. Start a Dance Party
Hosting a dance party is a sneaky way to get your family to exercise. It feels like a party but still counts as healthy physical movement. Dancing is an aerobic exercise that improves your respiratory system by increasing your heart rate.
Create a playlist with your family’s favorite songs and turn up the volume when everyone’s bored. They’ll love jamming to the fun playlist while snow continues falling outside.
2. Build an Obstacle Course
Outdoor play is fun for kids because they enjoy navigating the surrounding environment. They climb through playsets, bike over hills and run through trees in the neighborhood. It’s like playing in a giant obstacle course — which you can recreate indoors with some creativity.
Build an obstacle course to get everyone moving during your next free evening. They could accomplish these tricky tasks while racing to your finish line:
- Leap across a pathway of couch cushions on the floor.
- Climb through hula hoops hanging from doorways.
- Toss bean bags into laundry baskets.
The winner could stay up a few minutes later than normal or get their favorite dessert. It depends on what would motivate each family member to give the competition their all.
Before everyone starts, encourage your family to drink some water. They’ll need to fuel up before the physical activity, so their bodies can maintain the energy necessary to complete the course multiple times.
3. Create an Indoor Basketball Hoop
Any ring-shaped object in your home could become a basketball hoop. Bend a wire hanger into a circle or use one of your decorative wreaths. Your family may love competing with a small basketball in your living room. You could play on your knees to make the game fairer if your kids are young.
Keep in mind that sports can sometimes result in injuries. Basketball often causes mallet fingers when players catch the ball incorrectly. If that happens in your home, you can quickly treat it by splinting the swollen finger, taking an anti-inflammatory medication and calling your doctor if the swelling doesn’t minimize.
Accidents like mallet fingers don’t happen during every game, so have fun competing with each other. It’s always good to know how to respond to potential emergencies, especially if the roads are too icy to drive to your primary care physician’s office.
4. Join an Indoor Sports Club
Many community sports clubs include indoor activities. Research potential teams for your kids to join so they can get in on the fun even when it’s too cold to play outside. They might love indoor soccer, karate or bowling.
Remember that every commute to practice is an investment in your children’s futures. When kids learn to work as a team, they develop better future relationships because they know how to communicate effectively.
5. Jump on the Bed
Trampolines are a great exercise resource. Kids can jump on the biggest bed in your home or a smaller indoor trampoline. If you’re worried they’ll fall off, you can lay pillows on the ground nearby for extra protection.
6. Hula Hoop Together
If your family has a hula hoop, use it to exercise with your kids. The toys engage core muscles that benefit from the controlled movement, much like when someone does sit-ups.
Hula-hooping can also improve your balance by teaching you how to stay on your feet. Younger kids still going through growth spurts may have more control over their bodies after hula-hooping through the winter.
7. Arm Wrestle During Commercials
When your kids are watching TV, pop into the room during commercial breaks. You can challenge everyone to an arm wrestling competition that makes them giggle. Whoever gets their opponent’s arm closer to the table or floor by the end of the commercial wins. They’ll exercise their upper body strength and still get to enjoy the TV shows they love.
8. Follow a Yoga Video
Yoga is a gentle form of exercise that even young kids can try. Turn on a free video and follow a yoga instructor as they lead viewers through simple motions like downward dog and child’s pose. Your children can practice and flex the same muscle groups alongside you as they participate in the low-key exercise routine.
A recent study also found that kids who did yoga significantly decreased their anxiety compared to kids who didn’t try yoga. This may be more beneficial for families with children with higher anxiety around winter holidays or school exams.
9. Break Out a Jump Rope
You can jump rope on hardwood and carpet without damaging the floors. Invest in a jump rope for each family member and challenge everyone to a jump rope competition. You could see who can jump rope the longest or can do the most tricks in a limited time to get everyone moving.
10. Try Doing Headstands
Kids who are into gymnastics or dancing might love learning how to do headstands. Practice on the floor by showing them how to position their bodies upside down against a wall. Extra pillows on the floors will provide a cushion for inevitable falls while keeping it safe to learn this fun trick.
Headstands engage your core muscles, arms and even your legs. It takes complete muscular control to get into the correct position and hold yourself in place. Your kids may not be able to do this trick immediately, but it’s a simple way to get them moving between playdates and homework sessions.
Try Some Indoor Family Exercises
There are so many exercises to do with your kids when it’s too cold to play outside. Consider doing these fun and fit activities to get your entire family involved. Whether they love dancing, hula-hooping or jumping on their beds, everyone will get to exercise more often without heading out into the cold weather. After finishing up these fun indoor exercises, using a comfortable heated neck wrap can be a great way to help your muscles relax and recover from physical activity while also providing warmth and comfort on chilly days.
