Children's Exercise Activities
With obesity a growing problem, particularly among children in the United States, time spent being active while still having fun is one way to get children behaving in a healthy way without it feeling like a chore. Activities for children that get them exercising range from solo workouts like jumping rope to large group games.
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Camping
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A camping trip gets young children outdoors in the fresh air, where they can partake in a multitude of activities. Simply hiking up to a campsite can provide a workout, and once set up, campsites with water access allow for activities such as boating or swimming.
Jump Rope
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Jump rope games are popular activities among small children. Children can play with a jump rope alone, mixing fancier moves such as crisscross jumps or double jumps in with their regular jumping, or in groups. When jumping in a group, two children hold the opposite ends of one or two ropes, then one or more children enter into the ropes as they swing and begin jumping.
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Field Days
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Field days can be used to get children participating in healthy fitness activities, and are often employed by schools or kids camps as a way to get all the children participating. In field days, all the children are put together in teams and compete throughout the day in a variety of events. Having many different events in the day increases the chance that every child will have one or more events she enjoys playing, and that all children take part in the activities.
Capture the Flag
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In Capture the Flag, the players are split into two opposing teams and each is given a flag, which is then either hidden or simply left out in the open where it can be plainly seen. In the middle of the field, a rope or similar barrier is laid down. When a player from one team crosses the barrier into the other team's side in an attempt to get their flag, the other team can tag him and send him to jail. The team that successfully takes the other team's flag into their own half first is the winning side.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jumprope image by Jacob Randell from Fotolia.com
