728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Family Fitness › Fit as a Family

Fit as a Family

Cold-weather Activities

By Kelly Burgess

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

  • Boom box for dancing to the music
  • Hula hoops
  • Jump ropes
  • Skip it
  • Foam mats and wedges to jump and roll around on
  • Cardboard boxes for imaginative play
  • Hopscotch mat
  • An action game like Twister™
  • A plastic tub filled with costumes and other dress-up accessories
  • Toy musical instruments for a marching band
  • Microphone to imitate the cool moves of your favorite singer
  • Batons, small flags, pom-poms
  • Play tents or make one out of furniture and sheets
  • Indoor basketball hoops with soft basketballs
  • Soft, indoor baseball mitts and gloves
  • Juggling balls
  • Kid-safe dart boards and other target games

    • Sothern also says that exercise equipment, such as treadmills, traditionally used by adults can be used by older children, as long as they're well-supervised. She cautions that it will become boring to them fairly quickly. Pillarella also notes that studies show that because a child's thermo regulatory system works differently than adults, short bursts of activity, such as they get when they play, are more effective to achieve fitness than longer sessions, such as 30 minutes on a treadmill.

    The Indoors Outdoors
    While exercising at home is always handy and can be done even with only short amounts of free time, sometimes it's fun to get out and do something different. One ideal way for everyone to get active would be to join a gym, either one that targets the whole family or one that is just for kids.

    Matthew Hendison, executive vice president of marketing and entertainment for My Gym Enterprises, says kids love the activities offered by gyms targeted specifically for them. "When kids can't get out to play, either because it's not safe or is too hot or too cold, a gym targeted to their age group can be a great benefit," he says. "Everything is focused on their abilities and size."

    Pages:  1  2  3  4  


    Want to see more?