Blog

Creative Exercise Game for Kids

Anytime a parent mentions the word “exercise” to a kid it is bound to evoke a not so exciting response in return!  The typical exercise like long walks or workout videos doesn’t hold the interest of a child for very long so it’s crucial we, as parents, look into creative ways to get our child’s heart up to a healthy beat.  I’ve listed some great ways to get your child into workout mode with you without even connecting it with the dreadful “exercise” word.

It can definitely be challenging to leave behind our usual ways and search out new ideas to teach our kids about things that are good for them without using words like “natural”, “healthy” or even “exercise”. Usually when we start the typical sermon about getting up and being active or making the right food choices we will get tuned out before the 2nd sentence can begin.  Instead of getting the megaphone and whistle out for some P.E. style jumping jacks, try the fun game of Room to Room Exercise Treasure Hunt.  This game mixes furnishings like kitchen table, sofa and kids furniture with slaphappy movements that will amuse your child and make them laugh while working those thriving muscles.

Room to Room Exercise Treasure Hunt

Items Needed: Willing and Able Kids, Rooms in your home, Pen and Paper.

Step one to this adventure game is creating your treasure hunt playing cards.  Count how many rooms in your home that are spacious enough for you and your kids to move and groove.  Take the number of rooms and multiply it by 4 to get the amount of cards you will need.  So if you have 5 rooms in your home, times it by 4 and your answer is 20 cards.  Cut out your 20 cards and write the name of one activity that will get the heart rate up and going on each card.   Make a list of all the furniture in each room including: bed, couch, nightstand, dresser, because you’ll be using furniture along with fun moves to make exercising with your kids more exciting.

I’ve listed some activity ideas to get the ball rolling on your treasure hunt cards, but feel free to make up your own:

* Wacky jumping jacks.

* Touch your toes 5 times

* Skip around the table as you sing Twinkle Twinkle

* Run a lap around each piece of furniture

* Jump around the room from chair to bed to couch etc…

* All players (if two or three) hold hands and fall backward onto the bed together after a countdown.

* Do upright push-ups against the wall.

* Each person should face a chair and put heal on chair to stretch your leg.

* Stand beside a dresser and lift each knee to the dresser’s height.

* Find a soft piece of kid’s furniture like a bean bag or little foldout chair and lift it three times

* Get on your tippy toes and reach for the ceiling 5 times.

* Hop from the end of the room on one foot then switch and hop back

* Hum or sing Row, Row, Row your boat as you sit in a chair and do a pretend rowing gesture like in a boat.

* Get on your hands and knees and crawl from the door to the farthest piece of furniture in the room 2 times.

* WILD CARD-Let the person who finds this card think of an activity for everyone to do

* Sit still on the bed, chair or sofa and lift up both legs straight out to the count of 20

* Find an unbreakable object in the room and hold it in your hand and do windmill circles for the count of 30 on each arm.

These are free for you to use on your cards or to inspire your own fun activities!  Choose four cards for each room and make sure the four you choose coincide with the room’s furnishings.  For instance if you need a bed or dresser the right size for kicking or raising a small knee over, use the kid’s bedroom furniture for that activity.   Send your kids on an errand for water or bathroom break and you hide the cards around each room for them to find.

Group everyone in the first room and say “Go!” and let them scour the room looking for the four cards.  As they discover a card, have them bring it to you to hold onto while they hunt for more.  Once they are all found, go through each card and call out that activity for you all to do together.  After all four activities have been completed, head to the next room for a new treasure hunt and activity time.

Your children will work up a good sweat going room to room and not even realize they are getting the healthy exercise they need!