Indoors but Active!

Colorado winters are COLD.  Some days (like today) the high is 2. Yes thats in Fahrenheit, and yes that's the real projected high for the day.  BRRRRR. So what do you do with little ones that need to burn energy?  How do you help them when they're bouncing off the walls?  Here are 5 things we do when we need to occupy our full bodies, and all we need is a bit of space.  This is also a great thing to help our kids stay healthy during the winter months.

1) Cosmic Kids Yoga:

These are simply AMAZING.  My 5 year old and our 3 year old babysitting kiddo love to do yoga with Jaime.  She spins an exciting story with actions for the kids to do with her.  We have traveled to the moon, under the sea, and visited unicorns. 

2)  Fireman Letter / Word Stomp: 

This one we did during our Career Week, but it was fun enough the kids have asked for it again. I started by creating little red "fires" and writing lower-case letters on them.  Then I created water drops and put upper case letters on them.  It was a matching game and it was fun for them, and easily adaptable to burn (pardon the pun hehe) energy.  Write several words or letters on "fires" and have them stomp them out as you call them.  

3) Simon says: 

This is an excellent game for helping kids listen.  When the energy is high and the activity is low its hard for little ones to focus, but this takes both listening skills and energy building. 

4) Dance Party:

As simple as it sounds, clear a space and turn on some pumping-and uplifting-music.  Kids can't help but dance when there's music.  If you have a flash light or colored lights you can turn on as well they'll eat it up!

5)  Toilet Paper Roll Bowl:

This isn't as calorie burning as some of the others, but it still requires motion.  Simply using old TP rolls and a lightweight ball set up a bowling alley for the kids - have them keep score to practice math skills!