April Showers...Make Moms Crazy!!

If you are a Mom of active children you know the sinking feeling that is a rainy day. It's like suddenly you've been put on lockdown with a bunch of small, sticky inmates. Why do they ALWAYS seem to be sticky? 

We try and limit the boys T.V. time and give them as much time outside as possible. Obesity is a serious problem among children in the U.S. I think shortened recess periods and gym classes are to blame partially. The boys get an hour of recess time in the middle of our homeschool day, it helps them get out all their wiggles and keeps them healthy. But what do you do when the weather makes it impossible for them to get out? And God forbid there are a string of stormy days, that's a sure fire recipe for scurvy to set in! I have 3 ideas to help you get the wiggles out and help keep them fit at the same time! 

1.) Indoor Obstacle Course

This one is so much fun! This winter we had a few bitter cold days and the boys were begging to go out. It was so cold it was dangerous out there. So snow play was a no go. To help them burn through some energy I built an obstacle course through the house. We started with an army crawl under the coffee table, then hopping over circles, crawling under streamer and then climbing up on a small (stable) chair. You can make this as elaborate or as simple as you want. My boys are competitive so we also timed them, which burned more energy because they wanted to go faster. 

Obstacle Course 

2.) Shadow Dancing

Rainy days usually mean dark and stormy, so why not take advantage of the already low light! All you need for this is a large flashlight and a blank wall. Have them stand in front of the flashlight and make their shadow move. Put on some music, give them some ribbon or streamer and let them have at it. 

3.) Animal Charades

Call out or write down different animals and their actions. Mix up slow and fast movements, getting high, then getting low. Try and get creative to make it more fun or them and ensure a full range of motion. Some of my favorites are "wallow like a pig" (roll around on the floor), "stretch like a kitty"(use cat yoga pose here), and "jump like a cricket" (squat then leap) Yay for plyometrics, said nobody ever. 

Bad about getting in exercise? Do it with them! Be a prisoner to the rain, no more!