Five Tips to Keeping Kids Active and Healthy During Winter Break

By: Bag the Junk

Photo by Family Fun Education

When kids are home for extended periods of time over winter break, it can be easy to slip into a routine of watching movies and eating comforting foods like casseroles and holiday cookies. To help stave off winter weight gain for the whole family, try these five fun family-friendly tips for keeping kids active and healthy during winter break:

1. Participate in winter activities like ice-skating or skiing
If you live in a cool climate or near a mountain, try taking downhill skiing lessons as a family or give cross-country skiing a go. Both are lifelong activities that burn calories and give you a chance to spend time together. Before sitting down to watch a movie, jump in the car and spend an hour spinning around your local ice rink. Try to incorporate exercise in between your normal holiday activities – you may even end up starting a new annual tradition!  

2. Get Up and Get Outdoors
For families living in warmer climates, organize a neighborhood kickball or soccer game at your local park. Other ideas: go for a bike ride, rollerblading or even just go for a family walk. Sometimes, the simplest activities can be the most fun, and give you a big boost in physical activity. Healthline.com suggests gathering the family after lunch or dinner for a nice winter walk or a family-friendly game of touch football. Click here to read more “Healthy Holiday Activities.”

3. Shovel the driveway as a family
If you live in a snowy part of the country, turn this chore into a family activity. Have younger kids work on clearing the steps up to the house and older children can work on the pathway to the front door. You’ll be sure to work up quite a sweat!

4. Mix bread dough or muffin mix by hand
Keep your electric mixer in the cupboard and instead get an arm workout by having kids help knead dough or stir muffin batter. Make sure to turn on the holiday music to encourage spontaneous dancing while you bake.

5. Start kids in a new activity for the New Year
If your kids are looking to start a new sport like gymnastics or hockey in the new year, the extra days off over winter break can be a great time to give them a taste of the activity. Look for open sessions at the local gym or ice arena.

What are your favorite winter break activities that keep you and the kids active and healthy? Tell us on Twitter, Facebook.