Keep Kids Moving This Winter

Obstacles to Activity
It can be challenging to keep kids active when the weather outside is cold, wet and even coated with ice and snow. Adding to the weather deterrent, the hours of daylight dwindle. Remembering the benefits of keeping children active during the winter can help us focus on providing plenty of opportunities for children to maintain their activity despite the weather and darkness.

Benefits of Activity 
Most obviously, activity helps children maintain their health in general and keep a healthy weight. Additionally, physical activity helps strengthen the immune system and is a great way to help prevent winter illnesses. Being active also helps children manage anxiety and stress, especially useful for moderating behavior issues during the holiday season. Physical activity also improves sleep; adequate sleep makes everyone in the family happier.

Recommended Activity Levels
According to SHAPE America all children from birth to age 5 should engage daily in physical activity that promotes movement skillfulness and foundations of health-related fitness.

• Infants should be placed in settings in which they can explore their environment through movement. 
• Toddlers should have at least 30 minutes of structured physical play and at least 60 minutes of unstructured play time and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time (except when they are sleeping of course).
• Preschoolers should have at least 60 minutes of structured physical play and at least 60 minutes of unstructured play time and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time (except when they are sleeping of course).
• Children 6+ should be active at least 60 minutes each day. 

Ideas to Keep Active

• Limit screen time to 0-2 hours each day- less is better.
• Bundle up and head outside. Be sure to wear a hat since 30-40% of body heat loss is through the head and don't forget the sunscreen. Head to the playground, walk, or hike. If you have snow on the ground, you can still enjoy the outdoors. Low cost activities to enjoy with snow: sledding or tubing, building a fort or snowman, shoveling words in the snow (or the walk way ;) 
• Turn on music and dance or complete chores together. Sweeping, vacuuming and window washing are great ways to stay active and refresh your environment. 
• Play active games such as Twister, charades, Simon Says, hokey pokey or hot lava (lay small towels throughout the house and jump from towel to towel without touching the carpet). Practice yoga together. Have an indoor scavenger hunt, indoor obstacle course, or an indoor snowball fight with paper balls. Create a Move Like an Animal Cube.
• Offer plenty of indoor play equipment that encourages physical activity such as bean bags, soft balls, beach balls, scarves, jump ropes,and hula hoops. 
• Other more costly ideas: snowshoeing, skiing, bowling, swim lessons, memberships to indoor rec centers, geocaching, children's museums. 

Our resource libraries have a number of toys for lending that promote gross motor activity:

portable play centers with stairs and slide for toddlers, tunnel, foam hopscotch set, bean bags and board, bowling set, balance board, parachute, scooter board, sit n spin, yoga cards, Hullabaloo, scarves and even a self-standing basketball hoop!

If you don't live in our service area of El Dorado and Alpine Counties, visit the USA Toy Library Association to find one near you.