Exercise ideas for kids

Daily Exercise Ideas for Kids (No Gym Memberships Required)

Keeping your little one fit and healthy is getting more difficult with the glorious convenience of iPads and toddler-focused video games. It is easy to let your child keep watching when they are a) Entertained and b) Giving you a second to yourself. Daily exercise is an important part of every healthy routine and when you have kids, it can be a great fun way to spend time together. I am not talking about setting up side-by-side treadmills here.. just fun activities that get kids moving.

Inside exercise

Fortunately, young kids love to move around and only need a little encouragement and involvement from you. Top choices for younger ones are moving games like ‘Ring around the Rosey’ or ‘Simon says’ some great Simon Says ideas here. Pick out an aminal book and act out the different animals together, waddle like penguins, and swing your trunks like elephants (sound effects are essential).

Have a quick dance party or scatter some cushions around and play everyone's favourite…’The floor is Lava’! (put away any breakables, the floor is lava can get pretty panicked). Another easy and rewarding inside game for toddlers is, throwing things into a basket or large bucket, things such as soft toys or little beanbags (this can also double as a savvy way of getting the kids to tidy up).

Outside exercise

Of course, exercising out in the fresh air is always a bit more exciting. If you have a backyard, or a local park, (soft) ball games will always keep children happy, for the little ones it might involve just rolling it back and forth and for the older kids, you can set up a goal area with a couple of sticks or brooms and play some one on one soccer with lots of running and dramatic attempts to stop the ball. Another classic is the much-overlooked Hopscotch. All you need is some chalk and a couple of stones and you are away. If you can't remember how hopscotch goes, check it out here ( I had to google it myself).

Location Exercise

Sometimes you just have to get away from the house to encourage the little ones away from their screens and to keep parents from trying to multitask. Instead of just heading to the playground (again) break it up with a visit to your local (heated) pool, even if your bub is too young to swim (and is over 6 months), they can have an amazing time just splashing in the paddling section. Another popular choice for older kids is the local skate park. It is great for bikes, scooters and coffee drinking while you supervise from a nearby bench.

The important thing is that your child has about 60 minutes of active play every day, so work with your circumstance and do what you can. Don’t forget to practice your elephant trumpet!