Organized games and activities for children provide a teamwork opportunity with aspects of physical fitness and development. Adding an entertaining aspect to the activities and games makes the kids more excited about participating. Many of the games provide the child with the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity without them realizing they are exercising.
Activities
Activities that stimulate the mind and include physical activity entertain kids and prevent boredom. Activity ideas exist both indoors and outdoors, depending on the weather and available resources. A sensory walk to explore the sights, sounds, smells and textures of the environment adds a science element to the activity. If the weather makes it difficult to go outside, create an active play area indoors. Pile up pillows, sleeping bags, beanbag chairs and blankets to create a soft play area for climbing and jumping around. Another idea is to use the soft items to create an obstacle course. For kids who enjoy a particular sport, an organized team situation is an option. Most cities offer recreational leagues for sports like soccer, baseball and basketball. Individual sports like skating, gymnastics, dance and martial arts offer more options.
Games
Many classic childhood games incorporate running and movement, adding a healthy aspect. Tag, Follow the Leader, Simon Says and relay races are a few examples. To change up the relay races, have the kids move like animals, skip, hop or do another type of movement as they race. Basketball games like Horse work well if you have access to a basketball hoop. For an indoor version, use a crumpled ball of paper and a laundry basket as the hoop. A game of balloon volleyball is another activity that works indoors and outdoors.
Exercise
Exercising causes a negative reaction in some children. Take a more gamelike approach to exercise to make it more appealing. Choose a specific exercise like jumping jacks or situps. Set a timer for a minute and challenge everyone to see how many repetitions of the exercise they can do before the timer goes off. A circuit approach is another option to make it more interesting. Set up different stations in the backyard or living room. Each person starts at a different station and completes the exercise for a set amount of time before moving on to the next station.
Tips
Get the kids involved in planning the games, activities and exercises to create more excitement. Playing along with the kids makes the physical activity a family-bonding experience. The kids get more out of it and see you as a positive role model when it comes to physical activity. Set aside a specific time each day to engage in the active games so you get in the habit of doing it. Setting limits on sedentary time also helps encourage kids to get active.
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