Inside Activities to Keep Kids Active During the Winter
CREATIVE INDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES TO GET KIDS UP AND MOVING
Snowy winter days or bleak rainy ones bring with it its fair share of challenges for staying active. Due to cold weather and fewer hours of daylight in the evenings, it can be difficult to get outdoors. When the temperature drops, it’s natural to want to stay inside where it’s cozy, yet we know that exercise is still essential in the winter months.
When the weather just won’t cooperate, here is a list of indoor activities for kids to burn off energy, fight boredom and still get their recommended 60 minutes of exercise.
This post features items that were gifted as a collaboration with adidas. Our family proudly wears our adidas apparel and we’re grateful to be part of the adidas blogger community.
1. Indoor Hop Scotch
Create a hopscotch course. Utilizing painters tape or even just the square tiles in your kitchen to create a simple hopscotch area. Number the square and hop, skip or jump your way across.
2. Play the Floor Is Hot Lava
To say that my kids are obsessed with this game is an understatement. It keeps them occupied and active for hours. Simply use couches, throw pillows, stuff animals or blankets as safe areas to leap from one obstacle to the next without touching the floor, aka “hot lava.” Kids will get tons of exercise as they jump, balance and climb over obstacles.
3. Relay Race to Put on Hats, Gloves, and Coats
Okay, this idea is next level genius. I hate getting all the snow gear on kids, which seems like it takes FOREVER! Yet, if you make it a game then you’re getting double bang for your buck. Position the clothes in piles across the room 14-20 feet, then have them race their siblings to put on hats, scarves, mittens, coat and boots!
4. Sled Down the Stairs
If you have a set of carpeted stairs and a toddler bed mattress, then you’ve got your own indoor sledding hill. Make sure to pad the base of the stairs with pillows or cushions for a soft landing. Kids will get tons of exercise climbing up the stairs and sledding down again and again.
5. Play an Indoor Sport
Winter is the perfect time to check if there is a local soccer complex that has indoor leagues for soccer or flag football in the winter season. Make sure you outfit your children with the right athletic clothing and gear. adidas has everything you need for playing indoor sports from soccer cleats, soccer balls, shin guards, and hoodies for all the athletes in your family. We love the wide selection of colors available and always opt for bright cleats or turf shoes so we can easily spot our favorite player from across the field.
kid’s soccer cleats, shin guards, ball, and socks
6. Dance Party
Pick your favorite Christmas music or winter song to have a dance party while creating your own routine or dance. It’s one of the best ways to relieve stress for tired mommas too! Crank up the music and show off your best dance moves. Add a twist by having everyone freeze in place when the music is turned off.
7. Indoor Play Areas
When the weather is frigid, heading to an indoor play area is a great alternative for getting some exercise. Local indoor playgrounds, trampoline parks, skate parks, play cafes and climbing gyms are all great options. If you’re local to Southwest Michigan, here is a list of indoor places for rainy or cold weather.
8. Get a Day Pass to a YMCA or Gym
Often local recreation centers, YMCAs or community fitness centers have indoor basketball courts available for play during the day. Even non members can do a family pass for $20 and use the gym or pool. If there is a pool, maximize your time by choosing a time and day to utilize the facilities when they have open swim times. While the kids swim, my husband and I take turns relaxing in the hot tub. Also check their program schedules, many recreation centers have fun classes to enroll kids in during winter months.
9. Kids Exercise Videos
Monitoring screen time should always be a goal for parents. Although technology can have it’s advantages. One way it can be positive is by finding shows or apps that promote kids to get off the couch and move their bodies. Cosmic Yoga and PE Bowman videos are two favorites in our home.
10. Roll the Dice Exercises
Grab two dice and a location with plenty of space. Have everyone that is playing form a circle. Select one person to come up with an exercise, ie jumping jacks. Let the roll of the the dice decide how many repetitions of the exercise they need to do. Continue taking turns, allowing each person to create an exercise and roll the dice.
11. Glow Stick Tag in the Dark
The other huge challenge in the winter is that it gets dark so much earlier! Yet this can be used to your advantage. Currently in Michigan it gets dark close to 5:30pm. That give us abundant time to play in the dark. Break open some inexpensive glow sticks and play tag with them. Let the kids creativity shine since everything is more exciting when it glows!
12. Speed Scavenger Hunt
Start by naming an item in the house that your child needs to find. When you say go, they will race to locate the item and bring it back to you. Then continue with the next item. You can make it more challenging depending on the age of your children by having them find items that start with a certain letter. Some examples of items include: a stuffed animal, band aid, shoe, hair bow etc.
13. Indoor Winter Olympics
Hold your own mini Indoor Olympics. Make up fun events like who can slide across the floor in slippery socks the farthest. Who can pick up the most “snowballs” aka cotton balls the quickest. Brainstorm with your kids silly, crazy indoor Winter Olympics games, you’ll be surprised what they come up with. Then let your children compete in the games. Have your kids create medals with string and cardboard for gold, silver and bronze medals.
14. Balloon Volleyball or Keep it Up
With endless ways to use balloons, it’s one of my favorite items to help get kids active. Do yourself a favor and stock up on balloons, you’ll thank me later. While you’re at it, try snow bowling using balloons and food coloring.
15. Play Parachute with a Sheet
Recreate this classic kids activity by using sheets you can find in your own home. Throw some balls onto the sheet and jump and wave your arms till they all get flung off.
15. Build a Fort
It’s undeniable that kids love building forts. Hefting pillows, blankets and chairs around will promote movement. Forts are still tons of fun indoors.
Closing Thoughts
Multiple factors keep children from engaging in the recommended 60 minutes of active movement each day. We hope these ideas will help your kids burn off energy during frigid winter days when you just can’t get outside. If you’re searching for winter activity ideas for outside, then here are 21 Outdoor Winter Activities.
One of the most essential parts of enjoying the winter is having the proper clothing. As a Michigan mom of four children, we’ve gone through our fair share of gloves, boots, socks and coats. Thankfully, we’ve found what truly keeps our kids warm and dry in snowy weather. Check out this post, where we’ve highlighted all our favorite Winter Essential Clothing and Snow Gear for Kids.
