Before COVID-19 changed the way we live, only a third of kids were physically active on a daily basis. Now that most kids are home, that number is sure to drop even further.
Kids today spend hours in front of screens. You need to give them a break, but how can you encourage them to exercise?
You need to have a kids exercise list handy. That will tell you what exercises to do with kids and you can try them out yourself.
Are you ready to find out the best exercises are for kids are?
Let’s get to it!
1. Running
Running is one of the best activities for kids. It gets their energy out and the kids love it. Of course, with kids being kids, they’ll get bored of running after a short while.
You can make it more interesting by making up races for them. If your kid is solo, have them go up against you or a clock. Doing short shuttle races is a fun way to hold their attention as well.
2. Hopping
How about a good old-fashioned game of hopscotch? If you don’t remember what hopscotch is, it’s a game where you draw out a game board on the sidewalk with chalk. You’ll have one square, and two squares side-by-side above it.
You’ll follow that pattern until you have 10 squares. You take a small stone, throw it on the board, and hop on one foot to retrieve the stone.
Kids can work on balance and develop single-leg strength. Make sure that you switch legs each round.
3. Jump Rope
Jump rope is a simple exercise that kids can turn into a game. It takes a lot of skill and coordination, so kids might get frustrated with it at first.
You need to guide them and help them develop. They need to be aware that it takes a lot of practice to get good. With time, they can do things like Double-Dutch and Criss-Cross.
4. Dance
Kids love to be silly and they’re not self-conscious when it comes to moving around. You can have them dance to your favorite tunes at home or enroll your child in a class.
Either way, they can have fun and be creative. They also develop body awareness.
5. Animal Exercises
If you want to get kids active, you have to think on their level. They don’t care about burpees or anything like that.
They would be interested if you give them exercises named after animals. For example, you can have them do downward dog, cat and camel, and monkey.
These are exercises that entertain and help kids develop strength and flexibility.
A Handy Kids Exercise List
This kids exercise list is great to have on days when the kids are home and incredibly energetic. You don’t want them to be on their phones or tablets playing games all day.
They need to move! This list will help you come up with creative ideas to exercise inside and outside. Head over to the home page of this site for the latest health news and tips.