5 Ways to Help Your Kids Stay Active this Winter

Easy Ideas to Keep Your Kids Moving, Healthy and Happy When the Temperature Drops

From playing sports to running around at recess, physical activity is a critical part of your child’s health, development and wellbeing. Unfortunately, activity levels often lag during the winter months when the days get shorter and colder. However, it’s important to make sure your child gets enough physical activity even when they’re spending more time indoors.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under the age of six get at least three hours of physical activity throughout the day. Children older than six should get around an hour of moderate physical activity most days, such as walking, biking, dancing or playing sports.

Keeping physically active and building healthy habits have several benefits, including:

• Improved physical health: Winter activities help children keep up their physical fitness, including maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening bones and muscles, sleeping better and supporting healthy growth.

• Boosted mental wellbeing: Staying active during winter can improve your child’s mood during colder, darker months. Physical activity can also reduce feelings of anxiety or depression, while boosting their confidence.

• Stronger family bonds: Engaging in physical activities helps enhance relationships while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Being active together fosters family connections with meaningful, quality time.

Finding ways to stay active in the colder months, especially when your child doesn’t want to go outside, can be challenging. Here are five ways to help your kids stay active when it’s cold outside:

1. Brave the Cold Safely

While there will be some days when it’s just too cold to go outside, kids can usually still play outside year-round. When it’s safe, encourage outdoor winter activities like sledding, snowball fights and building igloos. These winter favorites can be a great way to get moving in the fresh air.

However, when heading outdoors, always be mindful of how much time your child is spending in the cold. Children can’t regulate their body heat as well as adults. That means they can develop hypothermia — a potentially life-threatening condition — quickly.

Keep an eye out for signs of hypothermia, which can include:

• Bluish skin

• Decreased breathing

• Goosebumps

• Lack of responsiveness

• Shivers (a sign their body is trying to heat itself up)

• Sluggishness or clumsiness

• Slurred speech

Since hypothermia is a medical emergency, call 911 right away if you notice these symptoms. Until help arrives, move your child inside, remove wet clothing and wrap them in blankets or warm clothes.

2. Set Up an Indoor Obstacle Course

Setting up an indoor obstacle course for your children can be an easy indoor winter activity. Whether you help them make their ideas come to life or surprise them with your own creation, there are plenty of items already in your home that make an excellent indoor playground. Sofa cushions can transform into steppingstones and throw pillows might become indoor hopscotch, while blankets form tunnel forts and some painter’s tape and yarn transform a hallway into a “laser beam” challenge.

Hopping over stuffed animals, scrambling over beds and crawling under dining chairs can add some joyful movement to a cold and blustery day. Try timing your child to see if they can beat their last turn or change the rules to create the ultimate game of “the floor is lava” to extend their interest and playtime.

3. Use Online Tools for Indoor Exercise

There’s no shortage of online exercise and yoga videos designed for children and families. Many of these videos feature age-appropriate activities and coaches with specialized training to teach children of all ages and abilities different types of movement. There is something sure to interest everyone, and your kids can learn a new yoga pose or dance move in the comfort of your living room.

Some kid-friendly workout videos* that appeal to a wide age range might include Beachbody Kids Workouts, Danny Go!, KIDZ BOP, GoNoodle and POPSUGAR Fitness.

While jumping rope, running around and playing sports offer fast-paced movement for your child, don’t forget about activities that help them use their muscles in a different way, like yoga.

The physical and mental health benefits of yoga for kids can include:

• A full-body workout that strengthens, stretches and tones muscles

• Better hormone regulation

• Decreased abdominal pain for children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Improved memory

• Increased flexibility and balance

• Lower insulin and blood sugar levels

• Reduced stress

You can find many free yoga videos* online, including Cosmic Kids Yoga.

4. Add Extra Movement to Chore Time

Household chores can be a workout for everyone, including kids. Here are some ideas to make chores more active and fun:

• Add quick exercises to housework: Incorporate jumping jacks, crab walks, bear crawls and other quick movements while you and your child work around the house. For example, while folding laundry, have them do a squat or pushup every time they finish folding a piece of clothing.

• Assign chores with more physical activity: Encourage your child to walk the dog, shovel snow or carry groceries. If they’re too young to do these activities themselves, bring them along with you and encourage them to do what they can.

• Make chores a step challenge: Clip a pedometer onto your child and challenge them to get as many steps as they can while doing their chores. You don’t need to get a fancy tracker — you can find a simple step counter online.

5. Make Screen Time More Active

One of the biggest concerns with too much screen time is it usually involves a lot of sitting. Try setting a timer every 10 to 15 minutes and have your child pause their game or show to run around, stretch, do some jumping jacks or turn on a favorite song for a dance break.

If your child has a gaming system, look for games that involve physical activity like dancing, tennis and bowling. These games are also great to play as a family.

Play, Move and Stay Safe!

No matter what physical activity your child participates in, make sure you’re always looking out for their safety. Remove any tripping hazards, avoid outdoor activities when there is ice on the ground and don’t push them beyond their limits. If you'd like to learn more about playground safety and other ways to help keep your child safe during physical activities, check out our injury prevention resources.

Children’s Nebraska offers practical tips to encourage children’s healthy habits and physical activity year-round. If you want to learn more about helping your child stay active during the winter months, connect with one of our expert pediatricians.

*Children’s Nebraska does not endorse any of these videos or companies. These are examples of virtual workouts and yoga sessions for your child.