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Indoor Sports
Ideas for Fun, Active Indoor Games
By Jacqueline Rupp
Whether it's raining, 5 degrees below zero or snowing outside, the result is usually the same: kids stuck in the house with nothing to do but play video games or surf the Internet. The winter months are particularly bad for exercise. With some imagination and basic equipment though, a boring day can be turned into an active time the whole family will enjoy.
"Active lifestyles are for a lifetime, and that definitely begins with childhood," says Phillip Haberstro, president of the National Association for Health and Fitness. "With kids, the main motivation is fun, so if you make physical activity a fun part of the day, kids will want to do it."
Try these ideas to liven up your indoor game plan:
Bring summer inside, and set-up an easy volleyball net. "I spread out two kitchen chairs about 6 feet apart, tape masking tape to each end of the chair and use a balloon as the volleyball," says Traci Flores of Conroe, Texas. "We usually make a court out of tape as well to prevent arguments over who was out of bounds." Use this set-up for tennis by adding mini-rackets and a sponge ball.
Flores also plays a game called "Shark vs. Seals" with her children. She makes a "sea" of pillows on the floor and designates one child as the shark who has to hunt the seal players by wriggling through the pillows. Seals try to avoid being dinner by hopping onto the safe zones of the floating pillow icebergs or ashore.
Of course, don't forget beach balls. "They are the source of a couple of hours of good exercise," says Sherrie Gabbert of Corpus Christi, Texas. "There's plenty to do with them, from volleyball, tag, to just plain old trying to hit each other with them! All three of my kids have enjoyed this. I always make sure to have plenty on hand." Afterwards, put out some beach blankets and serve fruit smoothies.