We all know that winter causes us to want to hibernate, keep warm, and eat comfort foods. During this season, we eat more and move less, and this includes our children.
An estimated 9 million children in the U.S. are not just overweight; they are suffering from obesity. Researchers believe that kids burn only half as many calories in the winter as they do in the summer. What’s the best way to keep your kids moving during the winter? Move with them! And more importantly, make the activities fun. Here is a list of fun things to do during these cold months; many of them don’t cost any money!
- Turn on your iPod or cable TV music channels and have a dance party!
- Have your child help with housework; but make it fun, offer an incentive like money or a new book.
- Did you know? You can burn 105 calories doing dishes, and vacuuming for 30 minutes burns 90 calories!
- Need to do some shopping? Casual mall walking can burn 215 calories an hour.
- Snowball fights, sledding, and tubing are really fun, and they also burn calories.
- Indoor water parks, bounce centers, family recreation centers, bowling, and ice skating are great ways to burn off energy while having a fun time.
During summer, it’s easy to just throw a blanket down at the park, read a book, or play some football or Frisbee; it may take more motivation to bundle up and head out the door during winter weather. But there are plenty of options to avoid being sedentary. So get out from under your Snuggie, grab the kids, and get active.
Read more about finding things to do with kids during winter here.