10 Activities You Can Do With Your Kids That Count as Exercise
Exercise Doesn't Only Come From the Gym
Let’s face it. You need the peace and quiet that comes from independent play or letting your kids idle away on a tablet for an hour. Honestly, though, you and I both know that’s not the most productive use of anyone’s time.
Why not use quality time with your kids to burn calories at the same time? Some of the activities on this list require you to hop in the car and spend a little money, but most of them are totally free!
1. Fly Kites
As long as it’s a windy day, you can run around in an open field with a kite waving behind you. Buy a colorful one that will hold your kids’ interests, or better yet, make your own kite at home!
Challenge your kids to get their kite as high as possible and challenge them to a race. Check your smartwatch at the end, and you’ll be surprised by how many steps you’ve gotten and calories you’ve burned!
2. Hit the Mini Golf Course
Mini golf is a ton of fun. Some of the courses have cool themes or interesting props. Even picking the color of the ball is exciting for kids!
You’ll walk a ton and may even go up and down stairs. Get a bonus arm workout by raising the putter above your head in victory every time you score higher than your kids. After all, a little healthy competition isn’t a bad thing!
3. Play at the Park
Kids love going to the park! It feels like an exciting day trip to a magical land that’s right in their neighborhood.
Now’s not the time to sit there on the bench waiting for your kids to get bored. Do squats on one end of the seesaw, work out your arms by pushing your baby in a swing, or climb up and down the slides. You can also bring a beach ball or Frisbee to toss around.
4. Set Up an Obstacle Course
Use things you have around the house to organize an obstacle course in the backyard. Tunnels, balls, mini traffic cones, hula hoops, and jump ropes are all good options and there’s a million things you can do with them.
Set up stations the kids can work through on their own to stay active and engage their critical thinking skills. And don’t forget…you should participate, too!
5. Freeze Dance
Crank up your favorite kid-friendly playlist and start dancing. To make it even more fun, turn it into a game of freeze dance.
Take turns being the deejay to stop and start each song at random times. The object is to completely stand still in the middle of your move as soon as it’s quiet. You’ll burn calories with all that dancing and have a blast with your kiddos at the same time!
6. Plant a Garden
Plant flowers or your own fruits and veggies in a garden. You’ll make your yard beautiful, spend time outside, get some exercise, eat healthier, organic produce, and teach your kids how to nurture and care for something to help it grow!
Gardening is exercise because it engages your arms, legs, and back. Digging, raking, weeding, and pushing a wheelbarrow are all physical activities. Make it feel fun rather than a chore by playing music and setting up the sprinkler.
7. Hide and Seek
Classics never go out of style! You will have hours of fun playing hide and seek with your kids. The best part is hide and seek is a physical activity that you can do inside on a rainy day.
Set some kind of time limit on each round so no one goes missing too long! If you do have a chance to play outside, make the game even more of a calorie-burner by ending each round with a dash to a base before you get tagged.
8. Go Bowling
It’s nice to get your kids out of the house every once in a while. Bring them to the local bowling alley for a day of fun. Strikes, turkeys, spares, gutterballs…they’re all a wonderful way to work out your arms.
Cosmic bowling is a unique experience that everyone will love. With the flashing lights and upbeat music, your kids will have a blast!
9. Play Charades
Family game night can be a great cardio workout. Rather than just sitting around the Monopoly board, get up and moving by playing charades.
You can buy premade cards in a box set, but why waste the money? Work with your kids on writing out your own words on scrap pieces of paper ahead of time. It’s a sneaky way to get them to practice their handwriting and spelling! It also lets them exercise some creativity and originality.
10. Organize a Kickball Game
Get all the kids and their parents in on the action! It’s as easy as organizing a kickball game at a baseball diamond in your neighborhood.
The teams should be as evenly matched as possible with equal grown-ups and kids. However, who knows? Maybe the kids will want to do big guys vs. little guys! Remember, it’s all supposed to be fun, so don’t let anyone take it too seriously.
Honorable Mentions
These ten activities are far from the only ones you can do with your kids that count as exercise. Others include:
Riding bikes
Scavenger hunts
Nature walks
Swimming
Jumping on a trampoline
Ice skating
Playing in the snow
Hopscotch
Act out your favorite story
Simon Says or Duck, Duck, Goose
Be a kid yourself and make time to have some fun! Adult playtime is a great way to get stronger and build endurance, but it’s beneficial for your mental health as well. You’ll feel a boost of endorphins and dopamine, making you feel in good spirits!
Plus, you’ll bond with your kids and create memories that you’ll cherish forever. Time in front of a tablet or TV just isn’t going to provide the same experience.
What are some fun activities you like to do with your kids? My baby is three months old, and I’d personally love some inspiration!
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