It is important we all keep active every day, especially whilst in lockdown due to Covid-19. Even though there are restrictions in place there are many ways to keep active as a family.

The Department of Health recommends that all young people (5 – 17 years) get at least an hour’s worth of “moderate to vigorous physical activity per day involving mainly aerobic activities.”

Exercises for kids during COVID-19 lockdown

Kids of all ages are overflowing with energy and need to put that stamina to use safely. Here are some simple ways to keep everyone active during lockdown.

Online Physical Education (PE)

Given this is not the first lockdown in Sydney, a good idea is to connect with your children’s usual sports club or PE teacher. Many have found ways to move online during lockdown, so your children might still be able to practice with their usual dance, gymnastics or martial arts coach or teacher. This allows them to connect with familiar faces and maintain a routine.

Alternatively, you can check out YouTube for various age appropriate physical education lessons including our favourite, Secret Ninja School, which inspires young children to love exercise in a language they understand: storytelling.

DIY Family Games

With the Olympic Games in full swing in Tokyo, creating DIY family games are a great idea to get the entire family moving. Pick a country to represent, DIY an activity or game and have everyone pick what their prize will be if they’re crowned as winner.

These DIY games don’t have to be overly complicated. Some ideas include:

• Judge dancing competitions and see who has the best moves in the house.
• Race in a sack. Be it those old garden sacks or oversized pillowcases, it’s time you use them to see who the fastest sack jumper is!
• Dribble the ball game. Bounce a basketball and dribble for as long as you can! Set a timer and check who can dribble the ball for the most extended period.
• Shoot 10 baskets in a row – take turns and goal as many times as you can. Compete and see who hurls the most baskets.
• Handball competitions

Yoga and Meditation

Yoga is not only great for keeping us moving and building muscle, it is also good at helping everyone relaxed through gentle movement and calming visualisations.

A great option for children who prefer their exercise to be part of their creative play, Cosmic Kids Yoga’s YouTube channel has sessions based around Frozen, Harry Potter and many more popular movies and characters.

Indoor chore fun

Housework such as cleaning, cooking, and tidying can all be fun and games for kids of all ages. Get your children to help you with a task every day to have them spend more time being physically active. Let them be part of more productive indoor recreations by letting them help you sponge, wipe, dust, and sort.

Another indoor fun chore can be cooking the family dinner together. Get your children moving about the kitchen to be involved in some easy baking or dinner prep. Here are some great kid-friendly ideas for dinner.

Staying active beyond COVID-19

Making sure children stay active beyond lockdown doesn’t have to be a challenge. The key is in thinking about what they enjoy and what they actively choose to do so you don’t have to force them into it.

Do you have any other fun ideas for keeping kids active during lockdown to share with the Tiny Terrors community? Please share in the comments below.