When kids come home from school, it is a great time to get in some physical activity. Their brains might need a break after working hard all day, and their bodies could use some movement after sitting at a desk for a long period. Physical activity can also be a stress reliever for the whole family! Here are some ideas of how to incorporate physical activity at home after school:
- Let the kids play their favorite songs and have a dance party together! See if they can teach you some new dance moves. Find some music from your childhood and dance to that as well.
- Take a pre- or post-dinner walk. You can use this as time to talk about your days or play observation games like “I Spy”. Pay attention to your surroundings and how the season is changing (Are there flowers blooming or leaves changing colors?).
- If you have a garden, get the kids involved in garden or yard work. See who can rake up the biggest pile of leaves or pull out the most weeds.
- Watching TV together? Throw some exercises in during the commercials! Try doing squats, push-ups, and sit-ups each commercial break. If your show doesn’t have commercials, every 5 minutes do a set of exercises.
- Create a Backyard Fitness Circuit Course for the whole family to do! Use household items like the ones suggested in this list by Action for Healthy Kids. Set up multiple stations so that everyone has an activity to do, and then switch until each station has been completed.
- If it is cold or rainy outside, create an indoor obstacle course! Line up chairs and walk around them, stack some pillows to jump over or even use tables to crawl under.
- For a more relaxing end to the day, try doing some simple stretching or yoga. Follow along with a kids yoga video, such as those found at Cosmic Kids Yoga.
See if you can try one of these tips out this week and get moving more after school!
