Staying active is a priority in our home. The kids enjoy outside play time as often as possible, but what happens when the weather is less than ideal for outdoor play?
Playing outside in the south isn’t always an option, especially in the summer. We deal with a lot of thunderstorms that can pop up seemingly out of nowhere. Afterward, all that rain turns already hot summer days into sweltering humidity and dangerously high heat indexes….and don’t even get me started on the mosquitoes!
We have to be creative when it comes to staying active. Here are some of our favorite things to do.
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YouTube
I love YouTube. We use it a LOT. Our Fire TV Stick 
There are so many great videos available on YouTube that are perfect for staying active. You’ll find workout videos and even yoga (my kids adore Cosmic Kids Yoga).
Dance, Dance, Dance
Our absolute favorite way to stay active indoors is to turn up the music and dance! This never gets old because there are lots of ways to mix things up.
Here are just a few…
• Look up line dances or choreographed routines on YouTube and learn some of them.
• Make up your own dances!
• Find a Zumba routine video on YouTube that you like and dance along. There are lots available that are appropriate for families.
• Play a freeze game where you dance until the music stops.
• Play musical chairs (this is always filled with giggles).
Traditional Games
Don’t forget about all the fun traditional games that we played growing up. Things such as:
• Hokey Pokey
• Duck, Duck, Goose
• Ring Around the Rosie
• Red Rover
• Red Light, Green Light
• Charades (this is especially effective if you use mostly animals)
• Hide and Go Seek
• Jump Rope (if you have a large enough area)
Remember the parachute game from PE class? We play the same games with a sheet! There are always LOTS of laughs with this one. We’ll hold it up high, go underneath and sit on the edge. Then we’ll toss it up in the air and try to run to the opposite side to grab the edge before it hits the ground. Be creative!
Build a Fort
I must admit, this one isn’t a favorite of mine, but my kids LOVE to build forts. I don’t mind the building part, it’s the clean up that I’m not fond of!
When the kids build these they are lifting, pulling, crawling, and generally moving all over the place to build things exactly the way they want. Afterward, they will spend an hour or two pretend playing or reading a book in their creation.
Scavenger Hunts
These are SO much fun! You can make up your own clues if you’re good at that sort of thing, or if you’re creatively challenged (like me!) just Google “indoor scavenger hunt.” You’ll get loads of ideas and printables that you can use to set up an awesome hunt for your kids.
With a bit of imagination, you can come up with all sorts of things to stay active even when you have to stay inside. Hopefully the above ideas will get your creative juices flowing!
What are you favorite indoor activities for PE?
BIO:
Michelle is a mama to four children, editor, writer, lover of vintage books, and eclectic homeschooler of 11 years. You’ll find her at Life in the Nerddom (lifeinthenerddom.com) where she writes about homeschooling, faith, motherhood, and balancing the daily chaos of life.
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