OK, so you have a house full of potentially video game addicted, TV watching, popcorn munching kids. As a mom and grandma with seven descendants, believe me, I’ve been there. How did I get them all to stay active in winter? I made it easy. I made it the natural choice. I made it part of the family routine. Here’s how I did it.
I provided them with clean, warm, seasonal clothing.
This is a seemingly simple concept, right? Kids don’t go out to play in the cold when they have nothing clean or warm to wear. Unfortunately, many modern parents just don’t get it. My kids had hats, coats, gloves, scarves, boots and warm toasty socks galore. It didn’t cost me a fortune. Some were used. Some were hand-me-downs. Some were bought at a deep discount after the holidays.
More importantly – Winter wear was always handy and always ready to be worn. Outgrown winter clothes were tossed in a box for visiting friends and relatives. No kid had an excuse for not playing outdoors in the winter when they came to or lived in my house.
Outdoor toys were abundant.
Playing outside is an easy choice in winter when you have a sled, skis, or a snowboard. You don’t need fancy equipment to get kids into sliding down hills. My kids even used tarps as sleds on occasion. A few Christmases ago, my grandkids went sledding with me on a fold out kids bed/chair down a sunken football field. Best Christmas ever! The point is, if you provide the tools, kids will have fun outside in the winter. They will stay active if you give them the equipment to work with. It’s in their nature.
Try this – If your kids are sitting on the sofa, playing Call of Duty, don’t give them a hard time. Just hand them something to mold snow bricks with. Toss them a football if there’s no snow. Sometimes even kids need a little inspiration.
We played active indoor games.
I’m a bit old fashioned. Well, OK, I’m really old fashioned. I played a lot of board games growing up. I did a lot of puzzles and read a lot of books. But that’s not all I did. I also played a lot of indoor party games involving physical exertion. Old fashioned games like musical chairs, duck, duck goose and the like kept us active in winter. Teaching them to my kids and grand-kids gave them more ways to stay active too.
Note – Just because these games are old fashioned, doesn’t mean your kids won’t like them too. Give it a shot. My grandkids love them.
More from Jaipi:
Parents: Don’t Forget Skin Protection in Winter Weather
Denver School Kids Go Without Coats for Fashion’s Sake
Crazy Fun Winter Activities for All Ages
