Children need exercise that is important for their development
Exercise for kids should be fun. Instead of “working out,” think of it as “exercise play.” That’s the term used by Ewunike Akpan, a personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise and the associate manager for the mid-Atlantic region for BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success).
BOKS is a school-based fitness program for elementary and middle school kids, and it’s all about fun and games. Kids arrive at school about 45 minutes early and spend that time in fun, active play. It’s a fantastic way to add fitness to their daily routine. And it helps them do better in school, both academically and behaviorally, too.1
What follows are suggestions for easy exercises for kids—movements and games that they’ll enjoy and benefit from. These ideas require no equipment or large outdoor spaces. They can be done in small bursts of five to 10 minutes, or you can string several activities together for a longer physical playtime.
Physical Activity Guidelines for Kids
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day for kids ages 6 to 17, ideally including both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises.
To make exercise more fun for kids, turn it into a game. Here are some ideas from Akpan.
- Corners: Divide kids up so that they each have a home corner. Then, have them run around the room in a circle. On your cue, they need to return to “home” and do a few easy exercises (say, five jumping jacks or one 30-second plank). Akpan suggests letting kids decide what exercises to do in each corner to give them ownership over the game.
- Go back and hit it: On “go,” kids run forward in designated lanes. Then call out “back,” a prompt for them to run in reverse. Finally, say “hit it!,” a cue to incorporate another skill (such as a tuck jump or squat). Again, give kids input on choosing the “hit it” skill.
- Squat relay: Have kids line up on opposite sides of the room, facing each other. On “go,” all kids run toward the center of the room and meet in the middle. They need to do three squats, giving each other a high-five with both hands in between each rep. Then, they return to the starting point and repeat. The focus is on the high-fives and the social interaction. If you have a large group, you could have the lines shift sideways between reps so kids meet a different friend in the middle of the room each time.
- Traffic: In this BOKS variation of “Red Light, Green Light,” there’s more going on on “the road.” Kids stop and start at red and green lights, but they also shuffle to the side for a yellow light, do bunny hops at speed bumps, link elbows and run with a partner for a “carpool,” and even gallop when the cue is “deer crossing.” Make up some more moves with your kids!
Indoor Ball GamesPlaying ball games indoors or outside can be great exercise for kids. Some of the benefits include aerobic exercise, balance, and coordination practice. (Plus, kids usually gravitate toward any activity that involves a ball.)
Some examples of indoor ball games that don’t require a lot of space include:
- Tossing balls into laundry baskets
- Hitting balls at a target with a household object
- Catching balls with a plastic mixing bowl
- Throwing, rolling, or kicking a ball against the wall
Other ideas include dribbling, passing, and rolling a ball back and forth between partners.
Parents should always find a safe location for their child to play with a ball inside (i.e., some place with ample distance from breakable items).
When playing inside, it’s ideal to use a soft ball, like a squishy yoga ball, a foam ball, or even bean bags, to keep games safe and injury-free. Properly fitting protective gear is a good idea if you’re using a small or hard ball, or if your child is still working on their coordination.
Skipping
Skipping can be a fun form of aerobic activity that can also challenge skills such as balance and coordination.
Some skipping games to try include:
- Hopscotch: Set up a hopscotch board (a grid of numbered squares) using either chalk (outside) or masking tape (inside). There are tons of ways to play, but with all of them a player essentially throw a small object (like a beanbag) onto one of the squares. They then try to hop, skip, or jump their way through the course without landing in that square.
- Jumping rope: Have your kids jump rope for a timed duration. You can amp up the difficulty by asking them to go forward and back, or make it more competitive by seeing which child gets the most skips in a set amount of time.
- Obstacle course: Set up a simple obstacle course with accessible items, such as a chair to skip around and a pot to skip over. Then, set a timer and have your kids aim to beat their personal records.
- Skipping tag: Play tag, but have everyone skip instead of running or walking to catch their opponent. You can add variation by switching to hopping on one foot, all fours, or some other way of moving.
Start with a few minutes of warm-up exercises to get muscles and hearts moving.
