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Family Matters Newsletter – March 2025   arrow

Indoor Activity For Kids 

By Katie Seelhoff, CSU Extension Specialist, Morgan County

We all know it is important for our kids to stay active, but this can be difficult when the weather outside is poor. If you struggle with this, here are some ideas to help engage your kids and keep them active during these colder months.

A young girl in a long skirt and white patterned blouse jumps off a wooden step outside a rustic building, arms spread wide.
  • Schedule Mini Movement Breaks – Depending on the age of your kids and their daily activities, schedule movement breaks a few times per day or between activities.
  • Keep up with sports conditioning – If your kids are old enough to be in sports, ask them what types of activities they did in practice and see if you can replicate it. For example, if they normally run during practice, can they run in place for a similar amount of time? Can they repeat some of the stretches they used to do?
  • Have a dance party – Put on some fun music or take turns picking songs to dance to. Music naturally encourages kids (and even adults) to move. This is a wonderful way to uplift the environment in your house and encourage movement. 
  • Don’t forget outside time – Unless the weather is truly miserable, try to get your kids outside for a little while every day. Just a few minutes of fresh air and sunlight can improve their moods and help them get through the rest of the day. This is true for adults too! Take a quick walk around the block, build a snowman after it has snowed, or take a short trip to the park if the weather is decent.  
  • Let your kids have a say – Kids are very creative and probably have great ideas on how to stay active inside. Any type of movement through the day is helpful, so why not see what they come up with! If you are able to join in their activities, it can help everyone feel better.  
  • What if your kids don’t want to be active – Avoid using physical activity as a punishment or making it something your child must do. Make it fun and engaging. It can be helpful to try out several types of physical activity. The more things they try, the more likely they are to find something that they enjoy doing. Another tip is to align the activities with something that they like to do. For example, if they like nature suggest that you go on a nature hunt rather than a walk.

Let’s Talk

Two children wearing winter gear and helmets ride a red sled down a snowy hill, leaning into the turn.

When incorporating these new activities, it is helpful for your children to understand the why. Explain to them that moving is important for them to grow big and strong and that it helps all of us feel better. When doing these activities with your kids, make comments about how much fun you are having and how good being active feels. You can also ask them how they feel before, during, and after an activity to help them see the difference physical activity can make.

Activity for Health

Have your kids come up with fun movement activities they can do for a minute or two and write each one down on a small piece of paper or a popsicle stick. Examples might include jumping jacks, follow the leader, running in place, or walking like a specific animal. During your Movement Break, let your kids draw an activity every minute or so for about five to ten minutes. These short bursts of movement may seem quick, but they add up to a lot of activity throughout the day!

A young girl in a white polo shirt and black shorts jumps in the air indoors, appearing focused and determined.