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Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining the health and development of your child, even when it’s freezing outside. The benefits of keeping kids active are well documented; as well as helping them to stay fit, regular exercise can help them manage stress, encourage creative play, and support their mental health.
If you’re looking to keep your child active during the colder winter months, here are some exciting ideas for you to try out as a family.
Get wrapped up and go outside
Get out your collection of hats, scarves, gloves, and cosy coats, wrap up warm, and simply head outside! Don’t let the cold weather stop you having some quality family time in the crisp, fresh air.
There are so many fantastic activities you can do without having to go a long way. For example, you could head to your local park and use the playground whilst it’s quiet, taking advantage of the extra space to use all the equipment.
You can also couple this with daily tasks, such as walking the dog or doing the school run. A simple way to incorporate a game is to organise a scavenger hunt, where your child can pick up souvenirs of their walk and scrapbook them together. Making journey sticks is another easy way to turn a walk into an adventure.
For lots more winter outdoor activities with kids, take a look at my free printable winter bucket list.
Have a dance party
No matter how old you are, sticking on your favourite tunes and dancing around your home is fun! Giving everyone ten minutes to let loose and have a boogie is a brilliant, free way to keep your child active during winter.
For an extra level of excitement, you can make your dance party a daily occurrence. Perhaps you could theme each day around what your child has been learning about at school, or something exciting that happened that day.
Ride on toy cars
When it’s cold, kids might be reluctant to go outside unless there’s a good reason – so give them one! Toy cars are a great way to get your kids active both indoors and outdoors, whatever the weather.
There are a huge range of cars available, including miniature versions of some of the most prestigious cars on the market. There are even Lamborghini ride on cars for children who love to travel in style.
Combine exercise with video games
If your kids love gaming, you might not have to limit screen time in order to get them active. There are many active video games that can be used as a transitional stage between gaming and physical exercise.
These video games use your physical movements to control the players on the screen, using a sensor, remote, or plug-in board to stand on. This is the perfect way to get even the most avid gamer out of their seat and keep your child active.
Explore indoor activity centres
When the weather is miserable, one option that always goes down well is to keep the active play indoors at a local activity centre. Bowling alleys, soft play areas, ice skating rinks, trampoline parks and climbing walls are all ideal for burning off some energy.
Your local activity centre might also run classes or events that your kids can participate in. Not only will this get them active and having fun, but it will also allow them to socialise with other children their age that have the same interests as them.
Hopefully these five exciting ideas have given you lots of inspiration for active play in winter. Do you have a favourite way to keep your child active to add to this list?
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