12 Ways to Keep Your Kids Active from Home

Home isn’t just where the heart is anymore; home is now where the teacher, gym, student, chef, and professional lives, works, learns, and plays. As the home base continues to be redefined and parents become the central source of entertainment and education, the time has come to talk about exercise at home with your quarantined kiddos! 

Most kids either love PE class or hate it. And without the fun of things like colorful kickballs, sprawling gymnasiums, and soft running tracks, it’s hard to ‘go the extra mile.’ But keeping your kids active is vital to their physical and mental health. It’s worth getting a little creative — and you might just have some fun in the process. Whether you’ve got a little tike at home or you’re trying to peel your teenager off the couch, X3 has some endorphin-boosting suggestions that might help keep your kids (and you!) moving.

Little Tikes

Ages 2 years old to 5 are notoriously energetic bundles. It’s the structure, variety, and liveliness of the lesson that will keep them interested and excited to move and play. What is sure to keep them the most engaged is guardian participation — get dirty with the ones who know how to best! Try these fun, simple activities to get their minds thinking and their wiggles out.

  1. Body Alphabet: Teach your tinies the alphabet and get them stretching at the same time with a standing charade game of letter-making. From A-Z, call out letters for them to shape with their bodies. Have them jump between each. Bonus points for spelling their name!
  1. Balloon Bounce: This requires equipment, but the lightest of sorts. Grab a bag of balloons and work together to blow them up; make sure to highlight the importance of breath in fitness. Have everyone pick their favorite color and get to bouncing. Try to keep as many balloons in the air as you can; risky dives are welcome in a safe environment. 
  1. Mimic-me Yoga: At X3 Sports, yoga is a favorite fitness program. Focusing on alignment and breathwork is vital for a safe, stretchy foundation. Place a mat down for you and each child (bonus points for matching outfits) and go through a few simple sequences together. A few repeated rounds of Vinyasa flow, scorpion dog, and tree pose will go a long way for breath and blood flow. 

Elementary

If there’s an age with the most curiosity and boldness, it’s 6 to 10 year-olds. Take the adventuresome route to exercise, and delight in seeing their exploratory antics. The outdoors are your best gym for this age, with space to move and a world to discover.

  1. Nature’s Lincoln Logs: Fall is around the corner, meaning the weather is crisp and the trees are dropping activity sticks (aka twigs) in yards all over. Set a timer for your sprouts and have them run and collect as many sticks as they can find. Once collected, time them again as they build stackable housing for your neighborhood chipmunks.
  1. Two of Everything: Keep them curious about nature and encourage discovery. This activity involves exploration and treasure! Choose 5 to 10 outdoorsy items that you know can be found on your property. Tell them to race the clock to collect two of each item to later compare and study. Bonus points for hill climbing and parent-approved digging. 
  1. Soft Lawn Brawls: Jiu-Jitsu is an incredible outlet for connecting the mind and body with patience and observation. X3 has been a teacher of the craft for over a decade with youth and adult classes offered. Once your child has experienced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with our stellar trainers, continue the practice at home on soft indoor mats or a giving lawn. Kids’ first class is free at X3, visit here to sign up! 

Inbetweeners 

Let the competition begin! The nearly-teen boppers in the 11- to 15-year-old range are here to play and they’re here to win. This is a great time to introduce a healthy splash of competition. Agility training and with timekeeping (EMOMs!) plus a rockin’ homemade Warrior obstacle course is just what the doctor ordered. Boost their confidence with fun competitions. 

  1. Pass the Egg Relay: Similar to the Egg on a Spoon challenge, this requires faster and more dexterous movement. Have relay races with your pre-teen using an egg as the passing torch. Going fast while maintaining a gentle grip ensures attention paid and energy expelled. Whoever breaks the egg first is disqualified (or just has to learn to make breakfast). 
  1. Household Goods Agility Course: Pull together some lightweight homewares to stack, chart, lift, and signal a Fast Track obstacle course. Lawn chairs, ropes, chalk lines, water buckets are just a few of the many items you probably have around your house they can use to get a great cardio workout.
  1. Pillow Boxing: Youth boxing at X3 is a favorite for our trainers. Kids learn self-defense techniques and overall confidence in their strength. Lucky for you, all that’s really required is good form and a soft place to land those punches. Grab a few pillows and call out “hook, uppercut, jab!” to get them pillow punching and core crunching. 

Teen Spirits                  

Anticipate the eye-rolls and don’t feel deterred. Teens are strong, capable, and have angst to expel. Let them run the show. Getting a laugh out of the experience will make it more fun for everyone. Don’t take it too seriously. Those TikTok dances can count for cardio! And who knows, it might offer a bonding experience!

  1. Silent Disco: Parents, this is your chance to shine (or embarrass yourself — to the delight of your teen). Everyone puts headphones on in this stress-relieving activity. At the start of the music, eyes close and the dancing begins. We bet they’ll peek and decide you’ll be the dorkiest person on the planet; a noble trade for a heart-pumping dance-off. 
  1. Nostalgic Capture the Flag: Go old school with this classic neighborhood game and add a technology twist: tuck their phone in something bright and hide it someplace safe. Then launch a game of ‘cell phone’ capture the flag. The extra incentive and sneaky aspect are fun for all ages. 
  1. Avenger Training: Power Track is a Level 2 style course at X3, which builds strength using bodyweight and additional weights for muscle development. Find fun objects around the house and see who can perform the cleanest squat or the meanest set of lunges. 

Youth Fitness at X3 Sports

Introducing children to fitness at an early age is extremely beneficial to their physical and mental development. Our facilities and top of the line trainers are dedicated to providing a place of confidence and learning for your kids. Start them in our youth classes and by the time they enter teenhood, they’ll be ready to join a handful of adult offerings. We believe in discipline, community, and having fun. Have yet to try X3? A free class awaits!

Free Class Signup

Recent Posts