When kids can go outside, there are plenty of options to get them moving. I like to encourage my own kids and the ones I coach on my youth track team to play lots of running games or do relay races. But if the weather’s not cooperating or it’s dark outside, it can be tough to come up with ideas for keeping kids active at home.
For some inspiration, check out these 27 ideas for active games and indoor physical activities for kids to get them motivated to move. Most of them can be done in your living room or hallway and don’t require any fancy equipment.
1. Set a laundry basket or cardboard box across the room or at the end of a hallway and have kids throw their stuffed animals into it. Make it a competition by keeping score and having them take a step back each time they make it.
2. Make a parachute using a bedsheet. Everyone holds onto part of it and works together to try to shake a ball or stuffed animal off of it. Or, kids can take turns running underneath it.
3. Have kids exercise as they’re practicing math or spelling. They can do jumping jacks as they spell out words, or recite math facts as they’re doing squats. Or, pass a ball back and forth as they’re spelling or practicing math.
4. The floor is lava! Challenge kids to keep a balloon in the air so it doesn’t touch the ground. Make it harder by telling them to use only their head and elbows.
5. Use a plastic cup and a ping pong ball to have a challenging toss. Have your kid toss the ball to you or another partner and try to catch it in the cup. Similar to an egg or water balloon toss, they should take a step backyards after each successful catch to make it more difficult.
6. If you get bubble wrap in a package, jump on it until it’s all popped.
7. Give your kids some active screen time with the free mindfulness and movement videos at GoNoodle for Families.
8. If the weather is bad and kids can’t go outside, take advantage of the open, covered space of your garage, if you have one. You can open up the garage door so they still get some fresh air, as they use ride-on toys or play a game of catch or kick a ball around.
9. Have animal races where you walk like a crab, hop like a frog, move like a bear, waddle like a duck, slither like a snake, and whatever other animal movements you can come up with.
10. Have Nerf gun battles.
11. Get kids to help with household chores like vacuuming or dusting. Set a timer or put on a song to see who can pick up a room the fastest.
12. Use painter’s tape to make a simple indoors hopscotch “board.”
13. Do some family yoga.
14. Hide the pieces of a large jigsaw puzzle around the room and ask kids to search for them. As they bring back the pieces one at a time, they have to try to put the puzzle together.
15. Pillow fights are always a blast and burn lots of energy!
16. Set up an indoor obstacle course using couch cushions, chairs, pillows, cardboard boxes, or anything else you have available.
17. Use activity dice to make doing exercises more fun. Kids roll the dice and then read them to see which exercise they should do and how many repetitions.
18. Turn up the music and have an impromptu dance party.
19. Kids need a body break? Have them do 20 jumping jacks.
20. Do indoor “ice” skating by having kids slide around with dryer sheets or Swiffer dry sheets under their feet. Bonus: They may actually help clean the floor!
21. Use some yarn to create a web-like string maze in a hallway that kids have to climb and crawl through, like a spy.
22. Play carnival games like “Knock Down the Milk Bottles” (using plastic cups).
23. Plan a nighttime scavenger hunt around the house. Kids can use flashlights as they scurry around the house looking for clues in the dark.
24. Use painter’s tape and plastic cups or bottles in a hallway to set up a bowling lane. Have kids use a ball to try to knock down as many “pins” as possible.
25. Play a classic game of Simon Says.
26. Get some empty cardboard boxes that kids can jump over and set them up in an area where you have plenty of room, like a long hallway or your garage. Line up a row of boxes so they can use them as a hurdle to jump or skip over.
27. Give each child a cotton ball and challenge them to a cotton ball blow race. They should place their cotton ball on the floor and then get down on the floor behind it. They can race to see who can blow their cotton ball from start to finish (in a hallway or across a room) the fastest, as they wiggle across the floor.
How Can I Motivate Kids to Exercise Indoors?
Whether you’re a gym teacher or a parent of young kids, you may have a hard time motivating kids to get active, especially when they’re stuck inside. Here are some tips to get them moving:
1. Establish an end goal. Before beginning any indoor exercise program, it is important to establish a goal that you can work towards. Whether it’s doing a certain number of push-ups or completing a specific workout routine, having a goal can help to motivate kids to stay active.
2. Set a routine. Establish regular times for your kids’ indoor exercise program. Having a consistent schedule can help kids develop a regular exercise habit. Try to incorporate different types of exercises such as jumping and bodyweight exercises.
3. Incentivize progress. Set up rewards for progress towards their goals. This can serve as an additional motivation for kids to stay on track with their program.
4. Track progress. Keep track of the progress that your kids are making towards the end goal. This can help them to stay motivated, as well as help to identify areas for improvement.
5. Mix it up. Incorporate different types of indoor physical activities into your kid’s program. This can help to prevent boredom and can help to keep them engaged.
6. Adjust difficulty level. Change the difficulty level of the exercises based on the child’s age and ability. This can prevent overtraining or injuries and help with motivation.
7. Make it fun. Make the exercises fun and engaging. This can help to prevent embarrassment or intimidation and keep kids motivated.
About the author: Christine Luff is a certified RRCA running coach and an American Council on Exercise certified youth fitness specialist. As a mom of two and a kids’ running coach, she loves to plan fun indoor physical activities for kids. Her book, Run for Good: How to Create a Lifelong Running Habit, is available on Amazon.
