It’s Cold Outside, But These Kids Need to Get Active!

Amy Gravseth, Director of Family Programming, shares some of the ways you can keep your kids active on cold and rainy days.

Winter is definitely upon us.  Those days of your children playing in the yard well into the twilight are gone.  Now they are sitting inside trying to find things to do but everything they think of involves a screen of some kind.  You’re desperate to get them active again, but what do you do? Here are some great tips to keep the kids moving all winter long. 

• Get the kiddos involved in a youth class at Oregon Athletic Clubs.  OAC offers everything from Martial Arts to sports classes to youth personal training!
• Get out and get swimming.  Enjoy an indoor pool. Swimming has great cardiovascular benefits, is fun and doesn’t require sun.
• Head up to the mountain.  With snow falling in the mountains, families can gather their snow gear for a day of skiing, snowboarding or sledding.  Any of these activities will get your and your children’s heart rates pumping.
• Have a pillow fight.  Pillow fights are good, old fashion fun.  Surprise your kids while they are sitting on the sofa with a light tap from a pillow and before you know it they’ll counter attack, resulting in fits of laughter and activity.
• Set up an obstacle course in your living/family room.  Go ahead and push all the furniture to the sides of the room (don’t worry, it will go back in place when you’re finished) and start putting together items that children can go under, over and around.  Time the activity and see who gets the best time.
• Build a fort.  Like the obstacle course, children can get involved gathering items around the house to make a play fort.  Walking around the house gathering “building materials” will benefit both the mind and the heart!
• Have a dance party.  Crank the music up and just start dancing.  Encourage the kids to join you.  Call it a 10 minute dance party.  Do it every day at the same time!

Winter doesn’t have to mean staying inside bored.  The fun just has to be moved indoors!

Have a look at our P.E.A.K Youth Schedule  to see some of the ways Oregon Athletic Clubs is working to promote energetic active kids. Celebrate the season with kid friendly events at OAC!

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