Fun Exercises for Kids: Family Fun & Games

A healthy lifestyle is a great way to ensure that your children grow up happy and healthy. One of the most important components of this is making sure they get plenty of exercises regularly. This blog post will give you some ideas for fun exercises for kids and make them more appealing, so your children will want to participate in them!

Benefits: Fun approaches like these can teach coordination and balance through physical activity, making it easier on parents who might find themselves struggling with keeping their own energy levels high during the summer months.

It’s indeed important to mention: Children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 should participate in 60 minutes or more of moderate physical exercise daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Not only does exercise have many health benefits, though – especially if done out in the backyard or at least where there’s fresh air circulating-, but we’ve found that sometimes all kids need is a little encouragement to participate in more physical activity.

Balance

Use a small piece of paper to make an “x” on the floor. Have your children stand in the middle and then rock back and forth from one foot to another. Make sure they move their arms as well for balance. Their goal is to stay over that x without stepping outside it or knocking it down.

Other exercises that promote balances are jumping on both feet in a closed room, hopping from one foot to the other while standing still and walking with your eyes closed.

Handstands

This is an exercise best done after you’ve mastered balancing exercises such as the balance game above. Handstands is a great way to work on balance, coordination. Kids will also enjoy playing with their friends with this exercise!

The idea behind the handstand position is that you need to find your centre of gravity by stretching through your legs while balancing yourself against an object (usually the wall).

It sounds easy, but it can take some time to balance out your weight.

Once you are in the handstand position, hold on tight for as long as possible and build up those big strong muscles!

Start by tucking your knees into chest position than keeping them in that spot fun, easy exercise that kids and parents can do together to work on those arm muscles!

For best results, you should do the handstands in a doorway about four feet wide and six to eight feet high with no obstructions on either side of it. Keep in mind that you will need some space around the edges, so there are no chances of someone running into them.

Upper Body

Arm circles are great exercise for kids because they can involve all different muscle groups while also getting them moving quickly. To do arm circles, have them start with both arms by their sides at shoulder height (a). Gently swing outwards, up above head level (b), and then back down again (c). Repeat this ten times in a row

Push-ups

A great way to get kids exercising. To do push-ups, have your child lay down with their feet together and hands on the floor next to their shoulders (a). Keeping their back straight, pull themselves up so that they’re balancing on the toes (b), then lower themselves back down again. Repeat this ten times in a row

Lower Body

Lunges are a great way to get kids exercising. To make lunges, have your child stand with their feet together and take a step forward (a). They should then bend both knees until they’re in the lunge position (b), raising one of their arms as high as possible at the same time for extra balance- it’s most important that they try not to put any weight on whichever foot is back! After holding this pose for 30 seconds or so, they can switch sides by taking another step forwards.

Exercises for Core

A great exercise for the lower body and core. Have a child stand with their feet together, then bend their knees into a squat (a), bending as low down as possible without letting their bottom touch the ground

Bicycle Crunch– This is one of my favourite exercises! To make this move, have your child lie flat on their back with both arms at either side of them loosely clasped around hands to support themselves (b). They should then use both sets of abs to roll themselves forwards until they’re sitting up straight again (c) before repeating. They mustn’t let go when moving from position “A” to “C”, or else it won’t work properly.

Exercises for Posture

To promote good posture and position pausing, and stretching can help.

For example, if your child is slumping over their desk at school to do a long task for work, they could try standing up straight with hands-on-hips or taking a break from the computer screen by rolling their neck slowly in both directions.

Pelvic Tilt (d)-this one’s really easy – have them lie down flat on their back then gently push into the ground under either side of you so that you feel yourself lifting off the floor slightly- it should look like an arch going around your body: arched upwards in front, downwards in back. This will make pelvic muscles stronger and improve posture too.

Exercises for Balance And Coordination

There are loads more exercises out apart from the above exercises mentioned some amusing interactive ones are:

Pogo stick jumps – have them stand on one leg and jump using the other foot to bring their body weight up. They should keep balance by holding out an arm straight in front of them so they can catch themselves if anything goes wrong, then alternate legs when they land (and make sure you’ve got enough room for this!)

• Balance ball pushups – these work just like normal pushups, but instead of putting your feet flat on the floor, you put your toes onto a small exercise ball and move it back as far as feels comfortable while keeping good posture throughout. This will strengthen muscles that usually don’t get much attention!
• Balancing games with hoops or ropes are perfect for kids who want to be active whilst still working on balance, coordination and challenging their minds.
• Balance Bikes – these are just like normal bicycles but don’t have pedals or handlebars to hold onto, so they’re perfect for teaching kids how to balance before they can start peddling!

Click this link to discover some Basketball dribbling drills for kids that is also a fun exercise to develop motor coordination.

Core Exercises

Core Climb-ups

These are a fun way of working out that focuses on core muscles by having children try to climb up onto something without using their hands (perfectly safe if you’ve got enough room!).

Crawl Races

this is another straightforward game that will get everyone’s heart pumping as they try to crawl faster than everyone else around an obstacle course with lots of different challenges involved!

Crab walk or Bear Crawl

Kids love crawling forward, but it can be tricky when they first start because they haven’t yet developed the coordination required to use both hands and feet simultaneously. These two variations on crawling are a great way of teaching them how!

Squats

Kids can work their whole body with squats as they try to get up onto something higher without using steps or stairs – this is perfect for when you find yourself in an area where there’s no access to a lower level.

Mountain Climbers

Kids will love this one, and it’s an excellent way of getting them to use their whole body as they move across the floor – you can make it more challenging by adding in extra movements such as “crawls” or jumping jacks. Too!

Yoga

The best thing about yoga is that it’s not only healthy but also really fun! This means that even the most reluctant children will be happy to give it a go (or at least grudgingly do so!) Also, it doesn’t matter if your child has never done any exercise before because these exercises are more focused on stretching and getting into different positions.

Here are 5 different yoga movements: that are great for kids:

• Downward Dog Pose – This is a classic yoga move that will work on the shoulders and arms. Kids can hold it by resting their knees on top of a chair if they find it difficult to balance without this extra support.
• Prone Twist – A twist offers another way for children to tone those muscles in the back while also stretching out any tension or “kinks” in the spine! The good thing about these poses is that there’s no need to worry too much about how high your child’s legs are off the ground because you’ll be able to modify them accordingly as needed.
• Locust Pose (or Cobra) – These exercises strengthen the abs and improve upper body strength. The Locust Pose is even great for kids who like to be active because it allows them to work those muscles while still being in a position that requires minimal exertion.
• Boat Pose (or Half Boat) – This pose is perfect for kids looking to improve their coordination and balance.
• Bridge Pose – The bridge offers a great way to strengthen the back muscles while opening tight spots in the lower back or hips. Plus, it stretches out those hamstrings, so there’s no need to worry about little ones getting that “tired leg.

Skipping

This is one of those classic kids exercises that will never go out of fashion, and it can be adapted depending on the age or ability of your child. With skipping, there are many different variations, such as using two jump ropes at once and keeping legs straight rather than bending them.

How to Teach Basic Skipping:

It’s effortless to teach kids how to skip, and it only takes a few minutes. The basic skipping technique requires holding one jump rope in each hand with the elbows close by their side and bending at the waist so that your weight is on both feet.

The simplest approach to teach kids to skip is to hold a long jump rope in one hand and tie the other end to a structure, then have your child leap in the centre while you control the rope and instruct them to hop when they hear the click along the ground.

Kids are naturally inclined to jump from foot to foot, so have them bend their knees a little bit as they go – this will make sure that they’re not putting all of their weight onto just one foot.

With practice, your child will soon be able to skip with both feet off of the ground at once.

The benefits of skipping are huge like :

• Balance and coordination are improved, making it easier for children to move around the playground or through open spaces.
• It also strengthens their muscles in both the upper and lower bodies as they use them while jumping up and down off one foot.
• Kids have a lot more energy, so you’ll notice that your child has fewer tantrums than usual!

The best time to start working on these skills is when your child first starts walking – skip with them until they can do it themselves! Practice will make perfect after all :)!

Jumping Jacks

One of the most well-known exercises for children is jumping jacks. Some good variations of jumping jacks are: doing them with one leg in the air or adding some clapping to get your child’s heart rate up.

To do a Jumping Jack, you’ll need to start in a standing position with feet together and arms at your side. Then, jump up into the air while raising both hands over your head, stretch back down to the ground, and then repeat this movement for as long as desired.

Variations on jumping jacks include:

When these make sure, your kids tighten their legs as he/she raises their arms over their head and bend at the waist to touch toes.

Next, jump up in the air while spreading knees wide apart, then land with feet together or close together before bending again to reach for toes. Repeat this sequence ten times!

Reach high: Reach high is a great exercise that doesn’t even involve jumping! Have your little one stand on his tiptoes and lean forward, so it looks like they’re trying to touch something far away (it could be anything from an object on the ground all the way out into space!) and keeps going until they can no longer balance without toppling over forwards.

Skippy-roo Run:

To do a skippy roo run, you’ll need two cones and space for it to be about ten metres long.

• Place the first cone at eight metres from where your child is standing, then have him/her skip over to that cone before running back on their tiptoes as fast as they can.
• After they’ve done this three times, move the second cone closer until it’s just past halfway between both cones (five metres away) and repeat so that by the end, he/she has gone all around course six. Times!

Star Jumps:

For star jumps, stand upright with feet together and hold both arms straight out and in front of themselves as they bend.

Fun and Games

kids exercises need to be fun to make physical activity attractive for kids using play games like tag or other active games like hopscotch, hide and seek alongside the above exercises. You don’t have to be regimented with exercises for kids.

For example, the most common form of exercise for children is jumping on a trampoline. Kids can jump by themselves, but it’s more fun to have friends over to all play together. In addition, it takes coordination between arms and legs, which will also help with their balance in life.

Jump as high up in the air (with arms still outstretched) and bend back down to touch their toes before jumping again.

Repeat for 20 seconds, then take a five-minute break before repeating. This is an excellent exercise that strengthens your child’s core muscles whilst improving coordination skills and stamina – with more repetitions per set every day. As a result, they’ll soon be able to jump higher or longer!

Funny Faces:

For funny faces, have them try and copy a picture of themselves making a silly face on paper by putting their hands over their eyes like they’re peering through blinds at what you are showing them. If this proves too difficult, make yourself using stickers from a sticker book such as ABC 123 Sticker Book: Animals, Vehicles and Weather.

Conclusion

Promote the above exercises in a fun way, and your child will be more apt to enjoy participating. Kids want active parents just like they do friends, so make sure you are doing your part by getting out there with them for at least two quick sessions every week before or after school at the park and out the backyard, even if all you can fit in is half an hour!

There’s no need to push the kids too hard when it comes to their health because that defeats the purpose of having fun together.

So have some ideas ready on what games you could play along with each exercise and how much time each activity should take up.  If you’re stuck for ideas, try kicking a ball about practising Soccer; backyard cricket is another fantastic activity to attempt, as is developing your tennis abilities with a Swing-Ball.

Remember: The most important thing about healthy living is making it fun, whether it’s through physical activities or other ways of living healthy in life.