Winter Physical Education for Kids
Let’s talk about Winter Physical Education for Kids. Do you spend most of the winter indoors? If so, getting some physical education is important to burn off some of that energy! I’d like to share some traditional and some not-so-traditional ideas of ways to keep active during the long winter season.
I know many will debate about what should be included as a healthy lifestyle physical education program, and debate is not my purpose for this article. I am all for training the body with consistent target heart rate training, and muscle building activities. On the other hand I am also aware that this type of activity is not for everyone, and we need to get physical activity in any form we can. It is especially important for our children who want everything to be fun, and exercise doesn’t always seem fun. The good news is there are so many things we can do to combine what seems like fun playtime, with good physical activities.
If your children are anything like mine, especially my 9 year old son, they get a little, more like a whole lot, wiggly when they are short on physical activity! This happens very quickly when they can’t just pop out onto the trampoline, or run up and down the sidewalk. Thus, it is important to continue with physical activity even when the weather is cold outside, not only for your physical health, but your emotional well being too.
Our advice to you for fulfilling a physical education requirement and just plain getting in some healthy physical activity, is just to get up, get out, and have fun with your family!
Easy Wiggle Busters
Game System Motion Games
Dance Dance Revolution, Wii Sports, Wii Playground – obviously this is only cost effective if you already own a game system. You can often find us pounding it out on our DDR pads together as a family in the evening!
Music
Turn on some dance music and boogie! We often turn on the Electric Slide, Hokey Pokey, Macarena, etc.
Conditioning Exercises
The kids and I help each other to do things like jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, and leg raises. Counting for each other and increasing in number as we get better. How about an indoor mini trampoline? We have heard lots of positive feedback from our community about them. Turn up that dance music and let them bounce away!
Outdoor Snow Activities
Sledding
I think the real exercise is in getting back up the hill!
Snowboarding / Skiing
My 12 year old brings her snowboard to the local sledding hill as that is more than enough for her!
Snowshoeing
We have a couple of local nature places that “rent” shoes for a small fee and you can explore on their land with them.
Build a Snowman
Building a snowman is absolutely exercise!
Snowball Fight
Snowball fights are the ultimate exercise in the snow. It requires lots of running to avoid the opponent’s snowball launch to squatting to build more of your own snowballs to launch. Exercise can be non-traditional, right?
Build an Igloo
For kids that have mastered building snowmen, they might enjoy the challenge of building an igloo!
Service Projects
Don’t neglect the value of helping around the community and neighborhood. For example, After a heavy snow, helping shovel sidewalks and driveways is a great opportunity to get some physical activity and be a blessing to others!
Local Indoor Activities
Ice Skating
We go with our homeschool group during the day. For the kids to skate it is $2 each (with a punch card that saves you money so it is less than that), and I bought each of their skates for around $3 at the local thrift store
Open swim
Our local Community Education Program has open swim with a punch card that is less than $1 per person. If your kids already take swim lessons (which two of ours do), they get in free!
Local Community Center
They have great activities such as open gym time and an indoor track. It is free since we are residents. We have been going as a family and running 3 nights a week (that includes our 5 year old who is running 1 1/2 miles!)
Please share with us your outdoor and indoor winter activities that help get the wiggles out and/or keep you physically fit during the cold winter months!
I have been on the lookout for ideas, especially this winter when I have a 2 year old boy, 1 year old boy and a newborn due in feburary. My boys need physical activity in a way that my girls never demanded. We love to pull cushions off the couches and build forts and tunnels. My sister in law helped by providing an early christmas present of the folding/collapsable tunnels by playhut. We also have a gift coming of a personal size, indoor trampoline complete with side safety net – thanks to black friday online shopping at Toy’s R Us. Hopefully these combined with a basement playroom to run around can keep active feet and bodys opportunities to get those wiggles out!!