Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Fitness for Tots

I don't know about yours, but my busy kiddies wake up with WAY TOO MUCH boundless energy. While I just want to lay on the couch, they're ready in an instant to play hide-n-seek-tag-catch-swing-etc. Rain or shine, they are ready to move. Someone once told me that the key to raising boys is giving them room to run! This is proving true for my girl, as well!

I'm trying to find ways in the middle of nasty-January-winter to include physical games into playtime. For a 2-year old that may just love Dora more than running, this is sometimes hard to do. Here are a few fun physical games we like to play:


Follow the leader: Your child follows you while imitating your steps: fast, slow, big, small. Imitate animals: hop like a kangaroo, slither like a snake, wag your "tail" like a dog.


Catch: Fun at ANY age, and easily adjustable to your child's level. For wee ones, roll a big ball back and forth on the floor between open legs. Switch to a smaller ball, and increase the distance between you and your child. Then try actually throwing and catching!

Dance party: My favorite! Try different genres of music and make up dances to match! (Most of ours look the same (mine included), but that doesn't matter! I recently taught my 2-year old (and friends) the Chicken Dance. Cutest. Dancing. Ever.

Pray for Spring: When you can sit on a park bench WATCHING your kids have the time of their lives sliding, swinging, and climbing...it's exercise at it's best!

5 comments:

Jill said...

I like to take my kids to our rec center. There's not a whole lot to do there, but there's room to run! (and it's free). They like to run around the track. We race and try different things like running backwards, hopping on one foot or two, etc. We play tag and try out the climbing wall. It gives them a way to release all their energy.

Unknown said...

That's a great idea! I'd much rather have them running around a track than chasing them around Costco!!!!

Kimberly said...

Try making an obstacle course in your house with your furniture...so fun and the kids will love it! OR running relays! Almost all kids love to run and love trying to be faster than the person they're racing against.

Aly said...

I was just going to say that we do obstacle courses that run through the entire house...then I read Kimberly's comment, so "diddo"!

Kara said...

Jumping on the bed is TOTALLY allowed at our house:-)