Eat, Play, Love: Raising Healthy Eaters is a blog series by parents and dietitians whose stories and advice reminds us that we can overcome the challenges of feeding children. Subscribe to find ways to build lifelong healthy eating habits for your children.
Having spent long winter days inside with two two-year-olds, I cringe when a cold, rainy spring day appears in the forecast. I always hope for a warmer afternoon so that we can bundle up and head outside, but I also try to find new ways to play inside for a welcome respite.
Here are some ideas that have helped me keep my sanity this winter by allowing everyone to burn off a little pent-up energy:
Hide and seek or tag – the game can go on as long as there are creative hiding places left to find. Turn off the lights and close the blinds to add to the mystery.
Dance party – turn on the dance music, clear the floor and twist and shout! I am proud that my kids have known Lady Gaga by name since they were 15-months-old.
Pile o’ pillows – also set to music, we clear off every couch cushion and make a great big pile o’ pillows to run and jump in, roll down and around. Elicits giggles every time.
Hop scotch – blue tape is a wondrous thing and makes it easy to outline a hopscotch board on any floor.
Jumping on the bed – Call me a rebel, but I never thought this should be outlawed. We sing Five Little Monkeys and sneer at authority.
Five Minutes of Funk – my colleague introduced me to this idea to enliven Clean Up time. Play music or sing, set a timer and see how much can be accomplished in just a few minutes.
Fashion show – this works particularly well in a two-story house. They run upstairs for a quick change and parade down the stairs to oohs and aahs. Long hallways can also be repurposed into “catwalks.”
Games, crafts and education online – if your energy is depleted but you aren’t quite ready to give in to TV, board games, crafts and fun, educational games online are a great option. Check out the Online Games & Activities that Meals Matter offers to teach nutrition!
So, all you parents out there, what are your great get ‘em moving inside ideas?
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