Grandparents and Grandchildren Together: Indoor Fitness Activities

Grandchildren coming for a visit or are they off from school for vacation time? It’s always good to make flexible plans ahead of time. The Presidential Fitness Program recommends 60 minutes of active play for children under 18. Any active play is a fitness activity. Remember to get your grandchildren’s ideas on what fitness activities they would like to play. Here are some indoor (in case of bad weather) fitness activities to keep your grandchildren active, healthy…and entertained!

Active Grandchildren = Happy Grandchildren

Obstacle Course

What you need:

Obstacles - furniture, pillows, etc.
String
Paper and tape
Household objects - hats, boxes, pots, toys, etc.

HOW TO PLAY:
Plot your course. Obstacles that might be included in the course: crawling under or over chairs; crawling under a table without disturbing any balloons dangling on strings from the bottom; sliding under or crawling over a string stretched between two table or chair legs; crawling or slithering through a tunnel made from couch pillows; or stepping on a series of pieces of paper taped to the floor.

To make the course even more challenging, add further elements. Have kids go through the course while holding an empty toilet paper tube in each hand. Try wearing a large hat while maneuvering through the obstacles; if the hat comes off, it’s back to square one.

VARIATIONS:
Other obstacle possibilities include silly rules like jumping up and down three times after completing certain “stations” or singing a song at a certain point in the course. The variations are almost endless.

Macarena Push-Ups!

Practice the workout first, then add the music as your grandchildren place their

right hand forward and turn palm up, return, left hand forward and turn palm up, return;
right hand to left shoulder, return, left hand to right shoulder, return;
right hand to right ear, return, left hand to left ear, return;
right hand to left waist, return, left hand to right waist, return;
right hand to right hip, return, left hand to left hip-return;
1/4 turn to your right and repeat the steps facing the next wall.

Carrot Scavenger Hunt

Your kids will not only love their vegetables, they’ll seek them out.

What you need:

orange construction paper

green construction paper

glue

scissors

prizes

Dance-a-Thon

Put on some fun music and everyone get up and dance. Give each grandchild a chance to lead a dance and everyone follows the cool moves. Another way is for each person to choose a dance move, then put them all together - you have an original dance. Name it after your family!

Exercise-a-Thon

Similar to the Dance-a-Thon where everyone takes a turn leading choosing and leading an exercise. After grandchildren, and grandparents, are warmed up - put together a family aerobic dance to a favorite song.