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Home › Articles › Family Fitness › Indoor Sports

Indoor Sports

Ideas for Fun, Active Indoor Games

By Jacqueline Rupp

Pages:  1  2  3  

Try Something New

How about yoga? Set up a few exercise mats or blankets, get a book or instructional video and start stretching. "We do floor exercises, like Tae-Bo, which the kids think is so much fun," says Gabbert.

Other exercises to try include Pilates or martial arts. "There are many videos that can make television a tool rather than an obstacle towards physical activity," says Haberstro.

Never played hockey before? Now's the time to try! Create a simple game of hockey by using cardboard paper towel or wrapping paper tubes as "sticks," and hitting around a sponge ball or crumbled up paper. Brown bags turned on their sides can serve as goals.

Are you interested in golf? Create a mini golf course by stacking books in small piles and taping cardboard tubes together to make ramps and slides. A paper cup taped on its side can become the hole.

Dance can also be a fun way to get the family moving. Use books and videos to learn some basic moves. Try a new style, like the mambo, square dancing or the polka. Add some music and themed snacks, and you've got yourself a family dance party.

"The critical component in physical health is the role of parents, especially as role models," says Haberstro. "We need to show our children that we are active and that physical activity is an important part of our own lives."

House Rules

Here's some quick ways to transform indoor places into fun and safe recreation spaces:

  • Choose a room like a den, basement or family room that has a fair amount of open space. Long hallways far away from stairs also work well.
  • Move furniture out of the way, and do a walk through to check for hazards like sharp corners and exposed electrical cords. Place pillows against hard pieces of furniture.
  • Make sure there are also no burning candles or space heaters nearby.
  • Create a "penalty area" for anyone who gets too aggressive or doesn't follow the rules.
  • For garage play, make sure all dangerous chemicals, lawn equipment and tools are stored in locked cabinets. Also check that there are no heavy items on high shelves.
  • Create a playing field with mini sports cones, masking tape or rope.
  • Store all the indoor sporting goods in a bucket or pop-up hamper so gear will be there when you need it.


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