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New: Power Promises Walking Workout
Need some ideas to keep your children occupied when the weather outside is frightful?
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Here are some ideas for hours of fun to spark children’s creativity and preserve your sanity!
Provide Alternatives to TV and Computer
Try not to fall into the TV/Computer-as-Babysitter trap. The TV may seem to keep them occupied, but feeding on images will not spark their imagination or creativity. If you need to have noise in the home, turn on Christian radio or play CDs instead.
Listen to AFR or the Oasis Radio Network!
1. Play Campout!
Make a tent out of sheets and blankets. Nothing like a sheet fort to spark the imagination! Drape sheets over sofa, chairs or the kitchen table.
If using an old sheet, you or the children can cut holes for windows and doors. Let loose and get in the tent and tell some stories, too! It will bring back some fun memories and your children may remember the fun they had with you for a lifetime.
2. Fun Fitness Game: Captain Midnight
Players: 4 or more
How To Play:
Choose someone to be Captain Midnight. Everyone else then yells, “Captain Midnight, what time is it?” The Captain responds by yelling any number from one to twelve.
Each player walks that many steps toward the Captain. If they can touch him, then they are the new Captain. However, keep your ears open because at anytime the Captain can shout out “Midnight,” which means you have to run away from the Captain. If the Captain catches you, you become his assistant, helping him to catch other players.
For Character Education & Fitness, see PowerMoves Kids program
3. Make Play Dough
Here’s a fast, easy, simple recipe for non-toxic play dough.
* 2 cups flour
* 1 cup water
Mix together well. You can put dry Kool-Aid or Jell-O in the mix if you want colored dough, or use liquid food coloring.
After making the play dough, suggest they make their own beads for jewelry(can add cornstarch). Or they can make their own play foods and pretend to have a restaurant. It can just be thrown away when done. Less mess!
4. Fun Fitness Game: Walk Like a Crab.
Set up a finish line at the other end of the room with pillows or tape. Get on your hands and feet like a crab (with your stomach facing the ceiling) and see how long it takes you to crawl to the finish line.
5. Fun Fitness Game: Balloon-a-Thon!
The object of the game is to hit the balloon and not to let it touch the ground. Each round you can choose a different body part as the part you use to bounce the balloon.
For example, bounce it with your nose, bounce it with your foot or bounce it with your belly. If you are playing alone, see how many times in a row you can hit the balloon before it touches the ground.
If you are playing with a group, no one person can bounce it two times in a row.
6. Fun Fitness Game: Exercise Stations
Choose exercises with an element of fun such as seeing how long you can balance a book on your head, dancing, lifting soup cans as weights, hopping or marching in place.
Challenge the kids to see how many exercises they can complete in a set amount of time. The child completing the most of each exercise is the winner. Get creative and have ribbons for participants.
No matter what your age – go make some memories with your children and grandchildren. They'll forget the TV show and video game, but they'll never forget the fun they had with you on that snowy winter day!
Be sure to check out our new Power Promises Walking Workout program, too – for indoors or outdoors! INSTANT ACCESS.
