Exercise Ideas for Your Child
- Backyard Olympics
- Relay races
- Home gym
- Run up and down stairs
- Jumping jacks during TV commercials
- Walk while talking on the phone
- Dance around the house
- Try yoga (class or video)
- Exercise classes (gym, video, On Demand TV)
- Skateboard
- Horseback riding
- Ping pong
- Marching band around the house
- Pull sibling around yard in a wagon
- Long jump contest
- Sledding
- Build snowman
- Shovel snow
- Play fetch with dog in snow
- Walk in snow- try to follow your own tracks on the way back
- Ice skating
- Roller skating/roller blading
- Kayaking
- Rock climbing (try a special rock climbing gym!)
- Nature walks - make game out of collecting leaves, twigs, rocks, etc.
- Make a race out of anything - who can clean their room the fastest? Who can get dressed the fastest? Who can run to the car the fastest?
- Rake leaves
- Blow bubbles and let kids chase them
- Play hide and seek
- Set up indoor obstacle course with chairs/pillows - let kids crawl and climb - have them stop at activity stations for jumping jacks and push ups
- Play tag
- Play with hula hoops
- Take children to local playgrounds
- Play in backyard
- Take walks in botanical gardens and nature preserves
- Walk the dog
- Toss a Frisbee
- Have children look for rocks/twigs in the yard - make a race of who can find 10 the fastest
- Pull weeds
- Play hopscotch
- Walk around a zoo, museum, or amusement park
- Wash the car
- Shoot basketball hoops
- Have a water balloon fight
- Have a pillow fight
- Swim
- Sign up for a charity Walk-A-Thon
- Play mini golf
- Go bowling
- Make a game of carrying items up and down the stairs (one at a time)
- Dance classes
- Join gym
- Walk on the beach and collect shells
- Play tug of war
- Climb monkey bars
- Play Twister or Hullabaloo
- Go for a bicycle ride
- Challenge your child to a bicycle race - they ride and you run
- Play follow the leader with hopping and balancing
- Park far away and make game of walking to destination with jogging, skipping, tip-toeing
- If destination is close, walk (don’t drive)
- Go for a walk or a run
- Try kickboxing (class or video)
- Play tennis
- Use a treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike
- Play handball
- Play racketball
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