It is critical we all keep active every day, especially whilst in lockdown in Southeast Queensland. Even though there are strict restrictions in place there are many ways you can keep the family active.
It is important to note the Department of Health recommends young people between the ages of 5 – 17 years get at least an hour’s worth of “moderate to vigorous physical activity per day involving mainly aerobic activities.”
We know kids of all ages are overflowing with energy and need to put that stamina to use safely during lockdown. Here are some very simple tips to stay active during the current stay at home orders in Queensland.
Family Olympic Games
With the Olympic Games in full swing in Tokyo, creating some friendly competition between family members can get everyone moving. Pick a country to represent, create a game or sports activity and pick a prize for the winner.
- Dancing competitions: judge who has the best dance moves in the house
- Handball competitions: create your own court on your driveway, provided it is safe to do so, and do a round robin tournament
- Egg and Spoon Race: just like we all used to play as kids, all you need is spoons and eggs to create this fun game between family members.
Online Exercise
Connect with your children’s usual sports club or PE teacher, as they may have already created some online resources from our last lockdown. Children will feel connected by being able to practice with their usual dance, gymnastics or martial arts coach or teacher.
Alternatively, YouTube has unlimited options for age appropriate PE lessons including our favourite, Secret Ninja School, which inspires young children to love exercise in a language they understand through storytelling.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga is beneficial at helping to relax and breathe through gentle movement and calming visualisations.
Cosmic Kids Yoga’s YouTube channel is designed just for kids and has sessions based around Frozen, Harry Potter and many other popular movies and characters.
Indoor chore fun
Housework such as cleaning and cooking can all be fun and games for kids of all ages. It is also a great bonding exercise whilst having fun getting those pesky chores ticked off (win-win!).
Another indoor fun chore can be cooking the family dinner together. Here are some great kid-friendly ideas for dinner.
How to stay active beyond lockdown
Making sure children stay active beyond a lockdown doesn’t have to be a challenge. The key is to think about what they enjoy doing and what they actively choose to do so you are not forcing them into anything they don’t want to do.
Do you have any other fun ideas for keeping kids active during lockdown to share with the KIN Care Services community?
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