When the
weather gets cold, children often spend their days watching TV or playing
videogames.  Here are some simple ideas
for active indoor games to keep everyone warm and busy:

–         
Make an
obstacle course using items from around the house.  Jump over pillows, spin around a chair,
perform 5 jumping jacks, crawl under the table, and race to the finish
line! 

–         
Use a
book or a song with action words and act them out. 

–         
Dance to
music or play a game of Freeze (where when you turn the music off, everyone has
to freeze in the position they were in). 

–         
Masking
tape on the floor can make an excellent balance beam and is easily removed.

–         
Masking
tape can also be used for indoor hop-scotch.

–         
Make a
treasure hunt.  Hide objects around the
house and have the children hunt for them. 
Use pictures of the objects for children who might need a little more
guidance on what they are finding.  To
make it more difficult, make them perform a skill on the way to find a
particular item, such as jump, skip, hop, or crawl.

–         
Basketball
using balled up socks and a laundry hamper. 

Enjoy your
days inside instead of dreading them. 
The kids will thank you!

 

Danielle
Lupton, DPT
Clinic Therapist, TherapyWorks