Families For Life | Fun exercises to keep your kids (and yourself!) active at home

Adding physical activity to your child’s everyday life can help them grow and develop holistically. However, heading to the playground or the park every day isn’t always possible for busy Mums and Dads! The good news is you don’t always have to step outside to get active.

We’ve put together some simple and fun ways to get your child moving at home. Introduce some activity every day, and your child can enjoy improved aerobic and muscular fitness, reduced stress and anxiety, and get a healthy boost in their self-esteem!

#1 Work out with the housework

Gamifying household chores can turn them into a fun family workout! Race to be the fastest to change the bedsheets or see who can sweep and dust the most surfaces.

Carrying groceries, vacuuming, and organising the cupboards are chores that can help you move your body and stretch your muscles. When housework feels like a game, your child might also be more eager to contribute with the chores and ease your workload. This way, you can tackle the chores, sneak some exercise in, and spend more time with your family – that’s a win-win for everyone!

#2 Play a game using household items

With household items and a little bit of creativity, you can play games at home that get everybody moving! Here are some ideas to help you get started:

Tissue Dance: Place a piece of tissue on everyone’s head and start playing music. See who can keep the tissue in place the longest!

Catching “Butterflies”: Get some feathers from a craft store or scrunch scrap paper into balls. Toss them in the air and get your kids to catch them!

Colour Run: Fill a pouch with scraps of paper with a colour written on it. Get everyone gathered in the living room and call out a colour from the pouch. The fastest to bring back an item of that colour wins!

#3 Host a dance-off

Dancing is a fun and fantastic way for kids to stay active! Bring out the family’s favourite tunes and get everyone to show their favourite dance move. You can mix it up by pausing the music and getting everyone to freeze in place. Anyone still moving has to do jumping jacks!

Whether they’re grooving to their favourite songs or making up silly moves, dancing can help your child improve coordination, balance, and flexibility while building confidence. It’s also a great way for children to burn off energy and express creativity!

At the end of the day, fitness can be fun! All it takes is a little creativity and everyday items to encourage activity and spend quality time together. These home activities can also help your child reduce the amount of time spent on screens and improve their physical and mental development. So, the next time you spend the weekend indoors, set up the music, grab some household items, and get active!