Looking for some indoor exercises for kids? We have a great list of the best exercises for kids that are perfect for kids of all ages. Whether you have older kids or younger children these kid exercises are sure to get kids moving. Some of these are great to get rid of that pent up energy whether you’re at home or in the classroom.
Indoor Exercises For Kids
After a string of bad weather days, I can tell my kids sometimes just need to get moving and active. These are particularly great for preschoolers and toddlers who tend to have an abundance of energy. We aren’t worry about upper bodies and core muscles here, just good ole fun movement!
If you’re stuck inside but want to encourage physical activity, challenge your kids to these 30 exercises, many of which require no set up. Not only are they healthy to do, but they can often reset bad moods. It’s a win-win!
Exercises to Get Kids Moving While Inside
1. Run In Place
Run in place for a minute. You will do this by marching, but do it at a much faster pace. It is literally lifting your legs up and down in place. Great way to burn off some extra energy!
2. Butterfly Stretches
Sit down on the ground and do a butterfly stretch. Make sure your feet are touching each other, almost like sitting criss cross but the bottoms of your feet are touching instead of crossing. Then you will lean forward until you feel the stretch in your back and hips. Hold it for 15 seconds at a time. What a fun way to stretch!
3. Make An Obstacle Course
Make an obstacle course (like this Super Mario Party one). Make sure you have varying obstacles. You will want things to jump over, jump on, run, crawl. Just different ways to move around and have fun.
4. Simple Stretch
Stretch up toward the ceiling for 30 seconds. You’re gonna lift your hands up as high as you can. When you feel your arms, back, and tummy stretch you’re doing good!
5. Toe Touches
Bend down and touch your toes 10 times. Make sure you’re not rounding your back. Keep your shoulders back and it will make sure you have a straight back. Go as far as you can. If you can’t go all the way, that’s okay. This is a great way to challenge kids to be more flexible.
6. Jumping Jacks
Do jumping jacks for 20 seconds. You will start with your hands at your side and feet together. Then you will jump out with your legs spread and your arms will go open and around your head. You can even clap at the top. Then you will jump back to the original position.
7. Ball Juggling
Make 3 juggling balls and learn to juggle. This is tricky and will take a lot of eye hand coordination. Generally you keep 2 balls in 1 hand and 1 ball in the other. And as you throw the 1 ball up, you move a second ball to the other hand. And you keep going until the movement is fluid. Just make sure you use a soft ball for this classic game.
8. Yoga For Kids
Practice some yoga moves with Cosmic Kids. There are lots of different yoga positions to try at cosmic kids yoga. Make sure you start off with beginners moves before moving to more advanced moves. This is the best indoor exercise.
9. Spelling and Ball Tossing
9 – Play ball toss spelling. Shout out a word. Challenge your kiddo to add a letter to the word every time they catch the ball. This is one of the best indoor games as long as there are no breakable household items nearby.
10. Bosu Exercises
Do Bosu exercises, like these. You can jump, balance, stretch, do planks, push ups, and even dance. This will help you work on your core. You can easily put Bosu exercises into your daily routine.
11. Sit Down Stand Up
Sit down and then stand up. Repeat 10 times. However, the proper way to do this is focusing on your lower body and using your legs and glutes and core to help you up rather than bending and using your arms. Such a great way to burn up excess energy.
12. Side Lunges
Lunge to the right five times. Lunge to the left five times. Stand up straight. Then take one leg and move it out to the side and go into a sitting position. One leg should be bent 90 degrees and the leg to the side should be stretched.
13. Sock Mopping
Clean the floor with sock mopping. Drag your feet around the floor like you’re skating. Turn on music and dance while sock mopping. This is particularly great if you have younger kids. It’s an easy way for kids of the baby and toddler age group to have fun and get healthy. A great option for aerobic exercise.
14. Frog Hops
Do 15 frog hops. Get down into a squat position with your hands down and then jump up and then come back down into the squat position. Such a great game that will get active kids to also enjoy some pretend play.
15. Play With Balloons
Blow up a balloon, and then hit it back and forth. Don’t let it touch the ground! I love active games, because active play helps kids not realize they’re getting x amount of minutes of physical activity.
16. The Floor is Lava!
Put pillows on the ground and play a game of lava. Don’t let your feet touch the floor!
17. Plank
Do a 15-second plank. There are 2 ways to do a plank. Either get into a straight push up position and hold or you can lean on your forearms and hope the plank that way.
18. Dance Party
Looking for some different workouts? Then try these easy exercises for high energy kids or even young kids. Put on your favorite music and have a dance party. Turn your dance into a bunch of fun exercises like jumping, twirling, swinging your arms, all the things little kids like to do with their favorite songs. The whole family can get a workout while the music plays.
19. Freeze Dance
Play freeze dance. Play music and dance wild and then pause the music. When the music is paused everyone has to freeze. Then you can resume the music.
20. Do The Hokey Pokey
Dance to the hokey pokey. You stick your right hand in, and you take your right hand out, and you put your right hand in, and then you shake it all about. Then you do the hokey pokey and turn yourself about (around). Repeat this with your left hand, right foot, left foot, and your whole self.
21. March In Place
March in place for 30 seconds. We call this knees to chest. You will lift one left up at least waist high and bring it down, and then do the other and repeat. It will look like you’re marching in place.
22. Alphabet Exercises
Practice the Alphabet with Alphabet Exercises. Each exercise comes with a direction. Follow each direction and see if you can get through the abc’s.
23. One Leg Stand
Stand on one leg. Put your hands out to the side. Count to at least 10.
24. Hopscotch
Make and use an indoor hopscotch play mat. Everyone loves hopscotch. Jumping in all the boxes.
25. Inside Walk
You can march in place, jog in place, but did you know you can walk in place too? Whether you’re walking in place for 10 minutes or do a whole mile, it’s a great way to move around.
26. Arm Circles
Make arm circles going forward for 15 seconds. Reverse directions, and make arm circles backwards for 15 seconds.
27. Stair Exercises
Climb up and down your stairs 5 times in a row.
29. Pillow Case Race
Put your legs into a pillow case and have a pillow case race across the room.
30. Squats
Do 5 squats. Stand with legs hip length apart and go down until you’re in sitting position then stand back up squeezing your booty at the top.
31. Bunny Hops
Get down on your hands and feet. Put your hands out and then hope your legs to your hands and repeat. This would be a great way to have animal races in the living room. Such a fun activity.
32. Scavenger Hunt Race
Race around the house with an indoor scavenger hunt.
Kids love to move, but sometimes they may need a challenge… or 30. All of these exercises will get your kiddos moving in different ways, and they’ll have fun trying to do them all!
33. Balloon Volleyball
This is a good classic game. Grab a balloon and hit it back and forth! It’s fun, easy, and you won’t have to worry about any balls breaking anything indoors. It’s a lot more fun than traditional exerices…I’m looking at you mountain climbers!
34. Hide and Seek
Believe it or not, hide and seek can be included in fun indoor exercises. Everyone is running, hiding, climbing, and moving. It makes exercise fun!
35. Jump Rope
I know, we always want to jump rope outside, but if you have open space, a garage, or a small jump rope, it’s the perfect indoor exercise.
36. Hula Hoops
Using a hula hoop is a great way to exercise indoors! They aren’t too big and you can move along to music! Use them on your waist, arm, or even legs!
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Which indoor kids exercises were your favorite?
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