Does your child spend far too much of his or her free time watching TV or playing video games? Experts advise that two hours of TV or video games a day should be the limit to better assure kids will be healthy, strong, and creative.
Here is a quick reference list of some easy and fun exercise ideas to help children get active (often without even knowing they are exercising!):
- Walk your dog
- Walk your neighbor's dog (with permission from your parents and your neighbor, of course)
- Fly a kite
- Toss a Frisbee
- Ask your parents or grandparents to take you to a state park or other area where you can take a nature hike
- Ride your bike
- Skate
- If you have a yard, pick up sticks or trash
- Pull weeds
- Rake the yard or garden
- Play tag
- Play hopscotch
- Have a hula hoop contest, and see who can keep the hoop up the longest
- Learn to juggle
- Jump rope (boxers do it, and look how strong & healthy they are!)
- Visit the zoo, amusement park, or museum (lots of walking)
- Wash the car
- Have every family member wear a pedometer, and have a daily challenge to see who can take the most steps. Losers do winner's chores the next day.
- Shoot hoops
- Play soccer
- Play softball
- Play badminton
- Have a water balloon fight
- Put on your bathing suit and run through the sprinkler
- Go swimming (never without an adult to supervise!)
- Give the dog a bath. The bigger the dog, the more exercise you'll get!
- Sign up for a charity walk-a-thon with your parent, grandparent, or other relative
- Do jumping jacks
- Do push-ups
- Put on an exercise video and get a good workout
- Do sit-ups
- Learn to play golf, or caddy for someone else
- Play tennis
- Play miniature golf
- Go bowling
- Learn to twirl a baton
- Take a class in martial arts and learn to defend yourself
- Build a fort and play cowboys and Indians
- If you have a two-story home or a home with a basement, carry out-of-place items up or down stairs, one item at a time
- Run the vacuum
- Wash windows
- Clean your room
- Ride your skateboard
- Learn yoga, either at a class or from a video
- Race-walk
- Have relay races with your friends or family
- Play touch football
- Learn ballroom dancing
- Learn hip-hop dancing
- Take classes in ballet, jazz, or tap dancing
Bev Grey is founder and president of Grandma's Healthy Kids Club, Inc., an in-home program to help children lose weight safely or just improve their eating and exercise habits. She is also author of The Project, a children's book depicting a young boy's struggle with weight and everything that goes along with it. This essay is excerpted from "79 Ways for Kids to Exercise - Indoors or Out," published in the May 2006 issue of Weight-Wise Kids, an electronic newsletter offered by Healthy Kids' Catalog.
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