The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children between the ages of 6 and 17 participate in a minimum of one hour of physical activity each day. Sports are physically intense activities and help children meet the necessary exercise goals for their age group. Although many sports are best played outdoors, consider indoor sports games on rainy days or days when outdoor activity isn’t possible.
Dodgeball
Dodgeball can be played indoors in an open area, such as a school gymnasium, as well as outdoors. Dodgeball consists of two teams of players who retrieve balls from the center of the room and attempt to “knock out” players on the opposing team by throwing the ball and hitting them anywhere on their bodies. Once hit, players must leave the court. Dodgeball matches can be timed, leaving the team with the most players the victor, or they can continue until only one player remains. Dodgeball provides children with plenty of exercise by forcing them to continually run and jump while dodging balls from the opposing team. Provide children with a softer ball, such as a volleyball or kickball, when playing dodgeball. Baseballs and tennis balls could cause serious injury.
Indoor Hockey
If you don’t have access to a rink, you can allow children to play a variation of standard hockey indoors. Indoor hockey consists of two teams of children who must attempt to push a ball into the opposing team’s goal net. Indoor hockey lends itself well to substitution, as almost any variety of ball works for the game and you can mark a “goal” line on the floor in tape rather than using a net. Special sticks and balls are available for those who want to start an indoor hockey league. As opposed to standard hockey sticks, indoor hockey sticks have a curved edge, ideal for gripping the ball and pulling or pushing it across the floor. Indoor hockey is best played on a smooth surface.
Relay Races
A relay race allows children to participate in a variety of sports while also competing with one another. When setting up a relay race, divide children into two teams. Give both teams an assigned number of tasks that each player must complete in the same order. You could ask children to run to a certain area, do a set number of jumping jacks, throw a basketball into a goal or any other number of activities before moving to a designated area. The team whose players each successfully complete the tasks first wins. When setting up a relay race, consider the age of the participants before assigning tasks. Whereas older children can remember to complete five or more tasks in order, younger children may perform better when assigned only one or two tasks.
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