How to Keep Kids Physically Active in Winter

During winter when the days are short and kids are getting bored, it helps to direct their energy into play. Why not send them outside for some fun and games? Or if the weather doesn't cooperate, start an indoor roller derby league. None of these ideas cost a dime, just a little imagination. Here are a few activities for kids ages 6 and up.

Things You'll Need

• Roller Skates
• Water-Resistant Mittens
• Hats
• Coats
• Boots
• Ice Skates
• Football
• Blankets
• Fort-Building Items

Instructions

1. 

   Fit your kiddo in some roller skates. Then find someone with a concrete basement, it could be yours, a neighbor's or your child's best friend's house. Remove obvious hazards from the basement to make it a safe playground. Have all the kids lace up their skates and unleash them upon the cellar. It doesn't take that much space for kids to create their own skating environment. With a little imagination they can dream up all kinds of races and games.

2. 

   Bundle the kids up and send them out in the snow. Nothing is more exciting than a day off from school due to snow. Send them out in it--all day! Stuff them into their snowsuits for an hour or two of snowball fights and fort-building. Bring them in for lunch then swap out their soggy socks and mittens with dry ones, and send them back out for an afternoon session of snowman-building.

3. 

   Improvise an ice skating rink on the driveway. When the occasional thaw drenches the driveway in water, it is likely to re-freeze overnight. While ice is treacherous for those trying to walk between the house and the car, it is a wonderland for the kid with ice skates. Thick ice isn't necessary to create a slick skating surface and there's no fear of thin ice cracking creating a potentially deadly submersion situation. Driveway ice patches are rarely large enough for kids to gain a lot of momentum so freak accidents at swift speeds are unlikely. This activity is more suitable for older kids with greater coordination and athletic skills.

4. 

   Pump some air into the pigskin and send them out for gridiron greatness. Pickup football is a great way to get the kids out of the house and get some activity in their day. Wintertime is long, especially when there isn't any snow to play in. Remind them that the NFL plays straight through February, why don't the kids play more football, too?

5. Build blanket forts on those indoor play days. Dump all the extra blankets on the kids with some stray chairs and cardboard boxes and watch their imaginations take off. Give the kids supplies to make signs for the outside of their fort, "No Grown-ups Allowed" or "No Trespassing." They'll be entertained for hours and they might even wear themselves out.

Tips & Warnings

• Kids have a remarkable way of creatively injuring themselves. Always make sure kids are supervised, especially with activities involving any type of skates. High speeds and obstacles can be hard for little ones to negotiate, a little oversight by grown-ups can protect kids from accidents.