- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- iparenting fitness articles
- iparenting fitness q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Fun Ways to Spend Winter Days
Indoor Fitness Tips for Families
By Kelly Burgess
Melinda Sothern, director for the Pediatric Obesity Clinical Research Section of the Louisiana State University Medical Center, recommends an Imagination Station for kids to stay active, but it's something the entire family can use. An Imagination Station can be set up anywhere in the house: basement, kids' room – or right in the family room! Here are some things Sothern recommends:
- A couple of old mattresses on the floor so everyone can jump from one to another
- Boom box for dancing to the music
- Hula hoops
- Jump ropes
- Skip It ropes
- 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 just make one out of furniture and sheets
- Indoor basketball hoops with soft basketballs
- Soft, indoor baseball mitts and gloves
- Juggling balls
- Kid-safe dartboards and other target games
Sothern, recognized as a pioneer in the field of childhood obesity and fitness, used to frown on children using eercise equipment traditionally used by adults, but she's changed her attitude in recent years. Now, as long as it's part of a family routine and the child is supervised, she feels older children can benefit by using small weights and machines, such as these:
