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Expert Q&A

	By Zac Robinson certified fitness trainer, certified youth fitness trainer and physical education teacher

Where we live, it is often too dark and too cold to play outside once the kids get home from school. Can you give me some ideas for fun and active games that we can play indoors? We have a fairly open family room that allows for lots of movement. Thanks!

Hey, we must be neighbors. We are currently in Germany and during the winter months the sun becomes really shy. And you are right, this makes it a real challenge to get outside and active. Fortunately, with a little creativity there are tons of indoor activities that provide an excellent alternative to the outdoors. The link to the below article provides some ideas, but I have a few more!

Family Physical Education: Fun Games Inspired by Gym Class

I don't know how old your kids are, but these activities can be adapted to put smiles on the faces of almost any school age kid (and most parents too). They also help to curb the worst fears of mothers around the globe, playing ball in the house!

• Scarf duals – begin with the two "dualers" tucking a scarf (or a dish towel, old T-shirt, etc.) into a pocket or the waistband. Next, stand a few feet apart, bow then say ready go. The game is quite simple, try to take your opponents scarf before he/she takes yours. The rules: no contact, stay in a small area (pretend you are in a ring), if someone falls down, stop and let them get up. Safety: when reaching for the scarf do not lean in head first or you could bump noggins.
• Scarf juggling – use those same scarves to practice juggling. Depending on ability level you can begin with one and work your way up to two or three. Even try using feet, catching the scarf on your back, your head, your elbow, etc.
• Balloon Bonanza – Begin with one balloon per person, work as a team to keep all balloons in the air for as long as possible, when that becomes too easy, add more balloons, a simple, but fun and tiring game. Strategize with the rest of the family to come up with ideas to keep the balloons in the air longer.
• Finally, never underestimate the creativity of your children! Provide them with some indoor equipment and a challenge to create a fun game. Give them a time limit and a few basic guidelines and then let them at it! Once they are finished, all of you can test the game to see if you like it. This provides your children the opportunity to be creative, work as a team, and develop something fun that they can call their own. And eventually you will have a nice stockpile of fun indoor games!

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