Grandparents, St. Patrick’s Day will soon be here so why not plan your fitness activities with your grandchildren using a St. Patrick’s Day theme. Any activity that has grandparents and grandchildren up and moving is good for improving fitness. Having fun, especially with your grandchildren, helps your health, too! Here are 6 activities to start with:

• Sing (to Ring Around the Rosie) and Dance: Ring around a pot o’ gold, Ring around a pot o’ gold, pockets full of shamrocks, pockets full of shamrocks, rainbows rainbows, rainbows rainbows, we all go dancing, we all go dancing!   Make a “pot of gold” and place it in the center of the floor.  Place shamrocks made from craft foam in your pockets.  Place multi-colored streamers around the pot o’ gold. 1. Skip around the pot o’ gold while singing the song.  2. Pull the shamrocks out of your pockets and throw them high into the air. 3. Bend over and pick up the streamers then wave the rainbows in the air. 4. Do an Irish jig.   Then put down the streamers and pick up some shamrocks, repeat.
• Pot o’ Gold Treasure Hunt:  Through the house or outside, following a rainbow of streamers, have small treasures along the way and a pot o’ gold at the end. Make it a game and have “treasures” that say to go back to the beginning or whatever you choose. Make it a challenge activity for older grandchildren.  Have trivia questions to answer in order to advance to the next treasure.
• Rainbow Limbo Dancing:  Instead of a pole, use a rainbow.
• St. Patrick’s Day Egg Hunt: Dye green eggs, draw shamrocks on them or use stickers, and number the eggs so you’ll be sure to find them all.  Hide the green eggs outside around the yard. Use the numbers to practice counting for younger grandchildren.  Ask older grandchildren some math questions. To liven it up, put a time limit on the egg hunt. See who can find the most in the amount of time you set.  My kids always liked taking turns hiding the eggs for the others to find.  You can also turn it into hiding one and playing  hot or cold: your getting warmer or hot if getting close or cool or cold if getting farther away.
• Pot o’ Gold Coin Toss: use gold wrapped chocolate coins or candies - or use round yellow bean bags made from felt.  Make it a contest by stepping back before each turn.  Give a shamrock for each time a “coin” lands in the pot.  Here’s a challenge: toss with the opposite hand. Give a prize to all who played.  The winner gets to be first in another activity, or helper, or something you think is appropriate.
• Draw a St. Patrick’s Day scene outside with sidewalk chalk.

Remember to take pictures of all your grandchildren participating in the fitness activities. Make a collage and hang it on your refrigerator - that’s what grandparents do!

Go to Grandparent and Grandchildren St. Patrick’s Day Crafts 

Coming soon: St. Patrick’s Day Safe and Fun Websites for Grandchildren

Don’t forget to bookmark Nana’s Corner.

Related Posts:  Nana Doesn’t Want to Pay Weight Watcher’s: Week 2 of 10 (activities were originally included in this Fitness post)