Four Budget-Friendly Fun Ways

To Get Your Kids Active In The Winter

Guest post by: Jeff Elrod

Once the warm winds of summer fade away and people head indoors for winter, parent are hard-pressed to find fun ways to keep their children active. However, with just a little bit of creativity, it’s possible to keep your children active and entertained throughout the entire cold weather season. Here are four ways to change the doldrums of winter into an active time.

1. Active Games For Snow-Covered Days

One of the best things that you can do for your kids is to get them outside during the cold weather. Make sure that you have cold weather gear that will keep them protected from the elements. Once they’re suited up, the fun begins.

Try playing snow shoe tag with them. The rules are simple. Kids simply have to chase each other but can only step in tracks already made in the snow. Games like these are lots of fun and once they come back inside, they will be ready to settle down for more quiet play.

2. Snow Angels, Snow Balls And Snow Forts

If you’re lucky enough to live in an area that gets snowfall, make sure that you have time allotted to get the children outside during the daylight hours after a fresh snowfall. Laying in the ground while wrapped in a warm winter coat and making snow angels is a favorite memory that many adults have of their childhood. Be sure to make these wonderful memories for your children.

On the other hand, there is almost nothing better than making a snowman. This is a great family activity. In fact, some families even make several snowman to represent each member of the family. Dressing them up and creating facial features is a very creative process. Plus, they stay in your yard until the weather warms up as friendly reminder of a happy family day.

3. Indoor Competition

When the weather is too cold to go outside, be sure that you have some supplies on hand to keep kids active. Big bouncy balls are lot of fun. Try setting up in a long hallway or the basement area of your home if you have one.

If your school district or Community Center has a gym for the children to play in during the winter months, consider signing them up for a winter sport. Not only will they burn off a lot of energy but they will get to spend time with other children. It’s a great way to keep them entertained while expanding their social circle.

4. Board Games With A Twist

Winter is the time for board games. Unfortunately, sitting around a table rolling the dice doesn’t keep kids very active. Why not add an extra rules to the game? For example, if one of your children rolls a pair of snake eyes, then include an extra requiring that they must do some jumping jacks or stand on their head. You can add some hilarity to the day and burn off that energy build-up that is caused from staying indoors.

If you are really ambitious, why not make a board game on the floor that is kids sized. When it’s time to make a move, they will have to move their bodies in some way, such as shaking their hips or throwing their arms up in the air. This works especially well with the younger set. You can even add a dance party to the mix to make it even more fun.

The cold weather months often find people becoming more sedentary which is definitely not good for young children. Using just a little imagination and taking advantage of available resources, it can be easy to turn winter into one of the most active times of the year.

Jeff Elrod loves everything about family, sports and health and has developed a website to help families focus on staying active together. To learn more, visit FamilySportHealth.com.