If you are anything like me, even when you don’t intend to overeat, it sometimes happens. A little spoonful of everything at Thanksgiving is a heaping plate of food. You may not eat too much of any one thing but all together, the little things add up to a lot. A button bursting a lot. (I am a big fan of wearing leggings on Thanksgiving…they have never ending stretch)
If you ate a little too much yesterday, or even if you didn’t, spend some time being active with your kids this weekend. Burn off some of those Thanksgiving calories and have fun while doing it.
Go to the local high school track and run races
Get your family together and invite some friends. Head to the track and go head to head. Do some one-on-one races and some relay races. You can make them fun:
– a skipping race
– a backwards race
– a race with a book balanced on your head
– a hopping race
– a 3-legged race
Have a fitness scavenger hunt
A fitness scavenger hunt combines physical activity with fun activities that can be done in your backyard or in your home. You can set up various fitness stations around your house and/or in your yard. Or you can go to a local park.
Think of it like an Easter egg hunt. You could even use plastic eggs and fill them with slips of paper that say what type of exercise that you have to do when you find them. Make sure everyone has a list of the items to be grabbed, and prepare a few prizes for your winners!
Set up various fitness stations, create signs and display them in easy to find areas of your space. Possible station ideas include:
- 25 jumping jacks
- 60 second plank
- 2 minutes of high knees
- Jog in place for 3 minutes
- 30 crunches
- 10 bicep curls
Create a mini-Olympics with age appropriate activities
There’s no limit to the kinds of events you hold in your Kid Olympics, and you can hold them indoors or outside. You can invite neighborhood families to join you. Here are some sample events:
- Three-legged race
- 50-yard dash
- Marathon (run around the block, school, or other appropriate distance)
- Gymnastics (create a simple routine including cartwheels, somersaults, etc.)
- Jump rope competition
- Water balloon toss
- Tug of War
- Long jump
- Speed walking
- Egg on a spoon race
- Discus throw (using a Frisbee)
- Basketball free-throw
- Hula-hoop competition
- Limbo competition
- Hopscotch challenge
- Team events like kickball, softball, or soccer
Play lawn bowling
Talk about endless family fun complete with lots of laughs. There are a couple of different types of Lawn Bowling. Since this post is about being active with your kids (or grandkids), I am focusing on actual bowling in your yard. Or in your house if you have space. This inflatable bowling set is awesome. It comes with everything you need, including the pump.
Spend an hour doing yard work together
Doing yard work can be fun if you do it right! Plus, raking leaves, pulling weeds, and spreading out mulch all help to build strength and endurance. Additionally, when your kids help, it doesn’t take as long or seem as much of a chore. There are numerous ways to make yard work more fun for kids.
For instance, when you finish raking a pile of leaves, you get to jump in them.
We like to make it a competition. Whoever pulls the most weeds or rakes the most leaves in a certain amount of time gets a treat.
These activities are great for family bonding, whether your children are 3 or 13, you can make them age appropriate and have a lot of fun. Enjoy being active together while working off some calories. It’s a win-win!
