17 Ways to Create Opportunities for Indoor Movement Activities This Winter
Indoor Movement Activities to Chill Out the Winter Blahs!
When the kids are climbing the walls because they have been cooped up inside for too long what are ya going to do?
I am going to give you so many ideas for indoor movement activities that the kids won’t have a chance to even think about being bored!… and then they will be able to think. period.
We all know that dreaded phrase, “I’m boooored!”
It’s actually banned at our house I hate to hear it so much! But that doesn’t mean my kids don’t go stir-crazy when the winter weather takes over! Even as an adult, I’m prone to cabin fever sometimes.
When the weather begins to turn grey outside something in our heads begins to become dull as well! Physical exercise: moving our bodies is the best cure for this dullness!
With old man winter approaching, you need some engaging indoor activities for kids in your arsenal and at the ready! Therefore, I went on a quest to find some amazing games and ideas to engage motor skills and imagination in indoor spaces to keep those kids occupied and the indoor decor safe at the same time.
Why Fun Indoor Movement Activities are Important for Intellect and Behavior
Did you know that physical activity can boost brain power, improve mood, enhance concentration and increase decision-making skills? (source )
Furthermore, The benefits of exercise come directly from its ability to reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors—chemicals in the brain that affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance and survival of new brain cells. (source)
Studies show that even briefly exercising for 20 minutes facilitates information processing and memory functions. Did you get that? Being on the move for just 20 minutes at a time will help us (and our kids) concentrate better Immediately! Wow!
Dr. John Ratey, via Forbes, says that exercise improves your brain in the short term by raising your focus for two to three hours afterward. So frequent breaks for movement are immediately beneficial for concentration! Great news for teachers and moms alike!
Indoor movement activities will make kids smarter! Being active will increase their ability to focus and concentrate, making your job easier!
So whether you are a mom stuck inside with multiple children during a snowstorm, or a teacher with a classroom full of children that you need to get to concentrate, these activities are your ticket to peace and success!
So whether you are a mom stuck inside with multiple children during a snowstorm, or a teacher with a classroom full of children that you need to get to concentrate, these activities are your ticket to peace and success! Share on X
Snowball Fight in a Bag
Have a quick snowball fight! When your woes are caused having ice outside instead of snow this is a great solution!
# 1 Traditional snowball fight with 2 teams, forts, and fun
#2 Dodgeball version, which is much easier in small spaces with the same amount of fun
#3 Make 2 rows of kids facing each other with several buckets in front of each row. Each team frantically tries to get all of their snowballs into the buckets in front of the other team!
#4 Have a Snowball Freeze!
#5 Check out these snow-themed activities
Studies show that exercising even briefly facilitates information processing and memory functions… when we MOVE our brains work better IMMEDIATELY!
Indoor Activities with Scarves
carves are just plain fun! You can acquire them from grandmothers, thrift stores, garage sales, or from Bear Paw Creek with ease for hours of creative movement fun!
#6 Turn on some dance tunes and hand the kids some scarves -they’ll know what to do!
#7 Have a Dancing Scarf Blues party
#8 Creative Movement Activities and Songs with Scarves
#9 Pass the hanky
#10 Try These Beat Passing Games
#11 Drop the hanky or scarf in our case. You can find directions here
Snowball Fight in a Bag
Bean Bags: The Classic Indoor Activity for the Win!
Bean Bags are so open-ended the possibilities are really endless! Here are just a few ideas to get you started
#12 Play hopscotch with them! Create a board with painter’s tape and use the beanbags for playing pieces
#13 Play Tic-Tac-Toe with them on a giant grid on the floor (use painter’s tape again)
#14 Play “Hot Potatoe” with beanbags. Pass the beanbag to music. Whoever has it when the music stops is out.
#15 Bean Bag Hunt: One person hides the beanbags while the others hide their eyes. Then everyone dashes to find all the beanbags!
#16 Basketball with a change-up: use beanbags to toss and a laundry basket or sand bucket for the goal!
#17 Bean Bag races: create a start line and a finish line, the players push the beanbag across the path with their foreheads!
Just Get Moving!
There you have it! 17 Amazing ideas to get those minds and bodies moving in a productive way. Whether you take one fun idea each day or use all 17 ideas in a marathon activity-based day is completely up to you! 3 great movement props at your disposal for easy fun, what will you do first?
Don’t keep the good stuff to yourself! Be sure to share this list with someone else who you know could benefit!
Pin This for when your ready to plan neat stuff.
Joy Racicot
Joy is a mom of 6 (ages 5-26) who has a passion for encouraging moms! With three already grown up, married and having families of their own, three still at home, 2 kids with Down syndrome, and having been through a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in a teen she has definitely been through some ups and downs. However, she believes that each mom is divinely appointed and equipped to raise her particular kid(s) better than anyone else in the world no matter how it may feel on any particular day! She wants to inspire Your Mom heart as well as making the more practical aspects of running a household a tad easier over at JoyOnThisMomJourney.com.