Add Fun Activities For Kids To Your Everyday Routines

For Parents

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We all know how difficult it is to fit activities for your kids into your daily schedule; you don’t have to remind us how little room there is left to squeeze stuff into Mom’s to-do list! But there’s no need to sign up for a marathon or join a soccer team to get your family up and moving. Use these tips to sprinkle a little creativity, laughter and physical fun into your everyday routines.

Bring Books to Life

Stretch your imagination and your body at the same time. Encourage your kids to act out the story while you read them their favorite book, then get up and join in the fun! Can you hop like a rabbit? Or move like an elephant?

Work It While You Watch

Watching TV is undoubtedly one of the least active pastimes, but if you clear some space in front of the tube, you can challenge each other while you watch. Can you hula hoop during an entire commercial break? How about jumping jacks? If your kids are older, consider keeping a chart near the TV. The person who’s done the most jumping jacks at the end of the week gets a prize! You can also toss the remote and get up and change the channels manually. The ‘hassle’ of getting up to flip might even steer your family away from the TV.

Run an Errand Race

Get a pedometer for yourself and each of your kids and track your steps while you run errands. The person with the most steps at the end of the week wins. Try to think of sneaky ways to squeeze in steps; park further from the entrance of the bank or take the long way to the milk in the grocery store. If you don’t, with a prize at stake your kids definitely will!

Clean the House

When you’re cleaning, give your little ones colorful feather dusters, turn on some music and let them dance around the house, dusting as they go. You get a break, the kids learn the meaning of hard work and it’s fun too! (Just watch out for those broken ornaments!)