20+ Tips for Staying Active at Home With Kids

Are you staying active at home? It’s hard, right? Between meeting work deadlines, “digital learning” work, balancing zoom calls and everything else, getting active with the kids can be on the back burner. But hear me when I say that being active doesn’t have to mean running laps. You can get active by going outside, doing crafts or even going for a drive. It’s time to rethink your idea of staying active at home with kids!

I don’t know about you, but I am barely keeping my head above water. I have a bad habit of comparing myself to others, and it seems everyone is doing well. Truth is, I’m not. And maybe the Truth is that the PARENTS ARE NOT OK either. Maybe?

When you’re looking for fun, EASY, simple things to do with the kids, here are a couple of suggestions. Did I mention they are easy?

Tips for Staying Active at Home with Kids

Find some simple crafts you can do with the kids (or they can do themselves).

Check out some of my favorite craft posts. I am not a crafty person by nature, but my kids adore ‘making’. We don’t do anything Pinterest-worthy, but we do have fun.

• Crafts that won’t mess up your house.
• Crafts your kids can do without you.
• Create a Family Time Bottle
• Crafts you can do in less than 30 minutes.
• Crafts for upcoming holidays.
• Science activities to do in your own backyard.

Break out those teen and tween boredom busters.

If you have a 10-year-old or older, especially if they have hit that angsty stage, you may find that they are always like totally bored. If there is more eye-rolling, door slamming or subtle side-eyes going on in your house, here are some ideas for you.

• Go for a hike or bike ride and let them plan and lead it. You can find 125+ hikes for beginners here if you want to get out of your neighborhood. Just be sure to stay socially distanced plese.
• Let them search your pantry and take over meal prep.
• Organize zoom get togethers with friends. Virtual book clubs, Netflix parties, or “study sessions” are good excuses.
• Getting some chores out of the way helps make tweens and teens so much less surly! Check out my cleaning ideas for this.
• Check out these activities for tweens now that the weather is getting warmer.

Get cooking.

Load up on baking ingredients like cake, brownie, and cookie mixes. Look through all those recipes posted online. You can try your hand at the Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies or the infamous sourdough loaf, again if you have the time. Or why not have your kids make dinner for you? Get it off your to-do list. I created the Chef For A Day program in my house during 2020. The day’s chef prepares, makes, and cleans up lunch for everyone. It’s been a big hit. Other things you can encourage kids to do:

• Make a smoothie or milkshake. Use 100% juice to help kids get the fruit they may not otherwise get.
• Encourage the kids to use up leftovers for dinner.
• Plan out a fun breakfast (or breakfast for dinner).

Wash the car.

If it is warm enough near you, get your kids doing something they think is fun and you know is work. Tom Sawyer those kids. Washing windows, mowing the lawn, raking leaves or something similar might be “fun” for the kids too. Think of something you have never let them do before.

Start up a club.

Staying active at home with kids means you have to find new ways to get together with friends. Create a LEGO club, a book club, a cooking club, or whatever. Just figure out what you and your kids like and set up a time to do it with friends.

Get outside and start a challenge.

It is proven that getting outside can help elevate our moods. And I need all the elevation help I can get! But just going outside can be boring, right? How about starting a challenge with the kids? Try to do something your family doesn’t normally do. There are some awesome benefits of simply taking a walk with your family. Ideas could include:

• Jump rope
• Free throws
• Hula hooping
• Four Square
• Scavenger hunt
• Frisbee

Plant a garden.

When I say “plant a garden” for staying active at home with kids, I do not mean the bountiful garden of your dreams. I mean, digging in the dirt, throwing some seeds out, maybe pulling out an old planter and seeing if you can revive that plant… don’t go crazy. Also, don’t feel like you need to go to a store to get supplies for this. Have Home Depot deliver or just make do with what you have. It’s not about the final result, I’m learning, but the process. I’ve found you can have a lot of seeds shipped to you.

Celebrate…anything.

Look for something to brighten up the week and give you something to look forward to. Do you have a birthday coming up? Or a half birthday? Or go big for Cinco de Mayo. Need more excuses for celebrations, visit National day calendar for the most extensive and weirdest lists of national days to celebrate.

Bottom Line: Do what you can.

Staying active at home with kids will mean different things on different days. It will not look the same in my house as it does in yours. And that’s ok. Give yourself grace. Do the best you can at the moment. It will all be ok.

Pin: