Engaging Exercise Games for Kids
All that Screen Time is great at keeping little ones engaged for hours.
The downside is, those on-screen Avatars they are controlling, are the only ones getting any kind of movement!
Why have your children play Virtual games, when they can play Real ones? Games that will not only help them get in that much-needed physical activity, but also work wonders with their Motor Skill Development!
In this article we have curated a list of top Daycare Games for Kids that will help keep them get active, while at the same time boosting their sense of balance, reflex and flexibility.
Without any further ado, let’s get a ‘move on’, and see the best possible ways we can get them ‘moving!’
The Best Exercise Games for Kids
If you’re looking for the best options for exercise for kids, you’ve come to the right place. In this List of Exercises for Kids, you will find everything ranging from Group Exercise options, to Daycare Games for Kids.
Here’s a look at the best possible options, to get their adrenaline soaring.
Animal Yoga
Animals and Yoga make for a great combination!
To do: Take a deck of cards that have animal yoga poses on them, and ask your child to pull a card out of it. They then have to imitate the yoga pose shown on the card.
Tip: Want to make this game even more fun? Split a group of kids into two. One half will perform the poses on the card, and the other half will vote for the best performer!
Freeze Dance
This fun exercise for kids, never gets old!
To do: As the music plays, everyone dances. When it stops, everyone stays still as though ‘frozen’, and holds the position until the music starts again. The player who moves during the freeze stage? They have to do Ten Jumping Jacks!
Timed Scavenger Hunt
This one’s a ‘PE Version’ of the classic Scavenger Hunt Game.
To do: Write down five different exercises on five different pieces of paper, and place them under five tennis balls in different parts of your home. These could be ‘Five Push-Ups’, or ‘Five Jumping Jacks’. The children have to find each tennis ball, complete the exercise under it and bring it to home base.
Note: They are only deemed winners if they can get all the balls back in five minutes!
Hopscotch
Our list of exercises for kids is incomplete without the addition of this classic game.
To do: All you need to set up this game is to draw the numbers One to Ten on the ground, with some boxes.
Tip: You can introduce a fun twist to the game by introducing a new rule like ‘Hop like a frog while counting.’
Follow the Leader
Getting them to do exercises is easy, when you stitch them into another Classic Game. Getting them to ‘Follow The Leader Is not hard when it’s a game!
To do: One person is designated as the leader. If it’s only you and your kid, ‘you’ could be that person. Have them follow you, as you do those squats, lunges, crab walks, etc.
Simon Says!
Looks like we can’t get enough of the classics. Have them indulge in fun and physical movement at the same time, with this game that’s guaranteed to entertain. If you’re looking for a group exercise option for kids, this one’s a great fit!
To do: Get children moving by having them do as many exercises as possible, such as touching toes, hopping forward and backward and jumping in one place. After all, when Simon Says you have to do something, you simply ‘Have to do it!’
Obstacle Course
Teach them at an early age, to overcome those obstacles!
To do: In the largest free space in your home, set up an Obstacle Course using some pieces of furniture selected from different parts of your house. Watch your little ones delight in getting around those obstacles, and reaching the finish line.
Body Part Tag
If your children love playing Freeze Tag, wait until you see how they revel in this version of the classic game. This one makes for a wonderful group exercise for kids.
To do: One child has to be ‘It.’ This child runs around tagging other people. Now, if they tag a child on the arm, only the arm is frozen. If a child is tagged on the leg, they must hop on only one leg. The object of the ‘tagger’ is to freeze as many body parts as possible. In similar fashion, the tagger can also ‘unfreeze’ them.
Red Rover RollOver
This is another great exercise game for kids to play, that needs only one thing – the kids themselves!
To do: Children have to roll sideways from their positions and reach the finish line, where they have to touch a member of another team.
Tip: If you want a ‘better’ game, you want a ‘bigger’ team.
Animal Races
If you ask a group of kids, ‘Who would like to run like an animal?’, you will find all hands going up!
To do: Merely becoming an animal of their choice is not enough. You have to get them to compete in a race, too. Some of them will hop like bunnies, while some will waddle like ducks. Needless to say, this exercise game will have them in splits, too!
Piggie in the middle
Playing with a ball can be a great way to get in some exercise. For instance, in this game that can be played just about anywhere.
To do: Two children have to pass a ball to each other, while the third player, ‘Piggie’, stands between them and tries to intercept it.
At EuroKids we believe that Exercise Games are a wonderful way to keep children happy and healthy. Moreover, group games have invaluable benefits that cannot be found in Solitary Play. Benefits like sharpening their social skills and embracing teamwork. All the more reason, to encourage their participation in Group Exercise Games.
