Ideas to stay safe and active as a family

It is no secret that keeping active during this period is bringing families together at home more than ever before. Could this new and excellent habit go onto last a lifetime for you and your family? We hope so! It is certainly hugely beneficial for the whole family. For children, it even helps them develop and practice their motor skills and strengthens their heart, lungs and muscles, setting them up nicely for an active lifestyle in the future.

In light of this we have pulled together some new and fun ideas for keeping active as a family! See below….

For all Ages

Join the movement and get active with some fun PE lessons together with Joe Wickes, the Body Coach. Held live every weekday morning at 9am on YouTube.
Balancing is great for core strength! Indoors, use tape to make a straight line on the floor. Encourage your children to walk forwards, backwards and sideways along the line. Outdoors, use a plank of wood or some rope. Once older children have mastered the straight line, add some zig-zags and semi-circles.
Here are some of the best Apps in 2020 for children of all ages. There is a charge (varying from £3.99 upwards) for some of the Apps. https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/software/best-kids-apps-3647437/
Have lots of fun and keep active with these fabulous Disney Dance-alongs here. Remember to click onto full screen.
Join the Sport England Fitness At Home campaign. See here for more information.

Toddlers

Play a board game specifically for pre-schoolers. See here for ideas.
Learn all about our night sky and the universe, play games, sing space songs and much more. The BBC has some excellent resources here.
Go on a Bear hunt! Have fun making some cardboard bears with this link then get an adult to hide them in the house, or the garden if it’s a sunny day. Download your bear shape here. Make a map to plot your route.
Dress up in some dancing clothes and follow this baby ballet link, suitable for both girls and boys.
Little ones love water play and here is a link with some ideas on making a water pouring station.

For 5 to 10 Year Olds

Have a go at learning how to play chess. Follow this useful guide.
Create an agility obstacle-course indoors or outdoors, using everything you already have in the home, such as gym equipment, shoes, skipping rope, even a small table or two!
Learn some hip hop dancing here.
Play games outside, but do remember to take the precaution of keeping well away from others who are not your family members. Have a look at our article on Open Spaces
Discover some skipping rope songs! Use some washing line if you don’t have a proper one. Here is a link for some lovely old fashioned songs to sing and games to play whilst skipping.
This is a delightful and encouraging Yoga video, which is also great fun.
The NHS’s Change 4 Life has some really great ideas, together with instructions on how to keep children busy at home.

For tweens and teens

Learn some African dance steps. Follow this video right to the end for a real workout
Do a fitness-themed scavenger hunt! Adults should hide as many sport related items as possible, such as a yoga mat, a cricket bat or a tennis ball. When children find them they have to use the item for its intended purpose for at least 3 three minutes.
Get into these free fitness workouts here as recommended by Sport England.
Role Play. Set up a hairdressing salon with items you have at home and let the kids do your hair! Send us photos of wild and wonderful hairstyles that could go up on our social link.
Another way to keep really fit is to follow this Ultimate 20 Minute Full Body Workout, if you dare!

Liked this feature? Drop us a line and let us know what else you’d like to see from us at letsgo.info@boomerangfamily.co.uk.

Also, find many more great family things to do and ideas to help during the lockdown here