Winter is in full swing. And while we have had some unseasonably warm weather this week, we know the cold weather will return. Parents of young children sometimes have to get creative when it comes to finding ways to get their kids moving during our long, cold Minnesota winters. Keep reading to get some great ideas for indoor motor activities to help you keep your kids moving all winter long.
Provide laundry baskets or other containers and let your kids throw folded socks into them.
2. Painters Tape Fun
Painters tape is great. It is easy to remove and can be stuck to a variety of surfaces, including carpet, tile or wood floors. (Be sure to test a small piece on your floor to make sure it doesn't leave a residue.) Tape different lines on your floor. Some ideas to try are ladder rungs for jumping and zigzag lines for walking or crawling on.
3. Hide and Seek
Instead of traditional hide and seek, try hiding a toy or object and have your child find it. Then let them try and hide the item and you find it. Don't be surprised if they hide it in the same spot as you!
4. Indoor Pool Party
One cold winter day when my kids were probably 2, 4, and 6, they came tromping downstairs from their bedrooms in their swimsuits. I asked them why they had their swimsuits on and was told they were having a pool party as they dashed back downstairs. I followed them downstairs to see just what a pool party in my basement looked like. The kids had laid out all of the blankets in our basement on the floor and a few pillows too. They had folding chairs set up around the outside of the blankets that they could jump off of and into the "pool." My oldest was the lifeguard, complete with a whistle. This was a game that was repeated throughout the winter for many years.
5. Move Like an Animal
Find a spot in your house that has some open space and get your kids moving their bodies in different ways.
Hop like a frog.
Fly like a bird. (Run with your arms outstretched.)
Wiggle like a snake. (Wiggle on your tummy on the ground)
Waddle like a penguin.
Walk like a bear.
Check out this link for more Animal Movement Ideas.
6. Dance Party
Turn on your favorite tunes and have a dance party with your kids.
7. Indoor Bowling
Save some plastic bottles to set up as bowling pins. Give your child a ball to roll at the pins.
With some of the ideas above the next cold day doesn't need to be a boring one. Pick one or two of these to try and keep you and your child moving.
No comments:
Post a Comment