Staying Active during the Cold Months
Cold weather offers great ways to have family fun. Take time to play together and move more. Your whole family will feel good! As an adult, you need to move for at least 30 minutes on most days. Your child needs at least 60 minutes of moving on most days. Also, being active in winter can help you beat the cold-weather blues. When the temperature dips and the snow falls, here are ways to stay active, both inside and out.
Get moving indoors:
- Read books together and act out the stories to give them movement.
- Turn up the music and dance
- Create an obstacle course- kids love to tumble over pillows, crawl through boxes, and jump through hula hoops
- Build a fort
- Go bowling
- Go to the YMCA or Boys and Girls Club
- Do exercise videos in your living room
- Make bread, soft pretzels, or pizza- knead, shape, and roll dough. It’s good for the arm muscles!
Get moving outdoors:
- Shovel snow
- Bundle up for snow play- create snow angels, or make paths through the snow
- Take a neighborhood walk- how does it look different in cold weather?
- Go sledding
- Go ice skating
- Have a snow ball fight
- Decorate an outdoor tree for the birds- hang apples, pinecones rolled in peanut butter, or popcorn strings.
While enjoying the cold weather, remember these tips to keep your family safe!
- Always stay with your child for safety’s sake. Plus you will have tons of fun playing together.
- Cover your child’s head with a hat. A lot of body heat gets lost through an uncovered head. A hood can interfere with moving and seeing.
- Dress your child in layers for warmth. Be sure that he or she can move easily for fun and safety.
- Tie a scarf over your child’s nose and mouth to warm the air that’s breathed in. Tuck the scarf inside the coat so it won’t get caught in play equipment.