Cold weather offers great ways to have family fun. Take time to play together – and move more. You will all feel good! As an adult, you need at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days. Your child needs at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.
Get Moving INDOORS
• Act out a story. Read a book together; move to give it action. If it is a book about food, make it in the kitchen together later.
• Create an obstacle course. Kids love to tumble over pillows, crawl through open boxes, and jump into hula- hoops.
• Turn up the music and dance. Swing your arms like a conductor. Or move to the music like a cat, bird, horse, elephant, or bug. You do it, too!
• Make whole-wheat bread, soft pretzels, or pizza. Knead, shape, and roll dough. It is good for arm muscles. Tip: buy frozen dough to keep it easy for you!
• Start planning your garden. Find a library book about kids and gardening. Look at seed catalogues. Plan for spring activities.
Get Moving OUTSIDE
• Enjoy autumn leaves. Rake leaves in a pile. Enjoy the pleasure of jumping in it!
• Bundle up for snow play. Create angels. Make a “snow family” – with a pet. Go sledding. Climb a snow mountain. Make paths through the snow.
• Take a nature hike. Look for animal tracks in the snow, wild flowers and buds in early spring, or colorful fall leaves.
• Walk in the zoo! See how animals look with their winter coats on. Talk about how they live in the cold weather. No zoo? Look for squirrels and birds in the park.
• Take a neighborhood walk. How does it look different in cold weather?
• Decorate an outdoor tree for the birds. Hang apples, pinecones rolled in peanut butter, or popcorn strings.
Play Safe Outdoors!
• Always stay with your child for safety’s sake. You also have the fun of playing together!
• Protect your child’s skin with sunscreen – even in cold weather.
• Check the safety and conditions of sleds and other play equipment.
• Bring water if your family is outside longer than an hour. When you are physically active, you sweat – even in winter!
In cold weather
• Cover your child’s head with a hat, maybe earmuffs. A lot of body heat gets lost through an uncovered head. A hood can interfere with moving and seeing.
• Dress your child in layers for warmth. Be sure that he or she can move easily for fun and safety.
• Tie a scarf over your child’s nose and mouth to warm air that’s breathed in. Tuck the scarf inside the coat so it won’t get caught in play equipment and choke your child.
• Remember mittens or gloves and boots!
Stay Active Through the Winter
It can take a little extra effort to stay active when it’s cold outside, but it’s worth it. The benefits of physical activy are many:
• Strengthens your immune system. Even moderately active people catch 20-30% fewer colds than their sedentary counterparts.
• Reduces feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.
• Improves sleep
• Increases your chances of successful weight loss and helps maintain a healthy weight.
The Basics of Physical Activity
• The goal is to be active 30 minutes a day.
• Physical activity does not have to be strenous to be beneficial.
• Opt for activities you enjoy. They will be much easier to add to your day.
• Stay active with friends and family. It’s more fun, and they will motivate you when you need it.
• Write your activity plans into your calendar. Make physical
activity just as important as your other activities. Figure out where you can find time to be active in the yard, at the gym, at yoga class, or walking around the block. Planning ahead is part of getting into the habit of moving your body every day.
Walking
A 30-minute walk during your lunch break will help you feel more energized and refreshed and is a great way to fit physical activity into your day. This is a good strategy if you are busy after work.
• Walk by yourself if you need alone time or with a co-worker to make it a social event.
• If you don’t have 30-minute block of time, it’s okay to “break it up.” Find three different times in the day to walk 10 minutes.
Winter Outdoor Activities
• Shovel
• Ice skate
• Ice hockey
• Sledding
• Build a snow person or sculpture
• Walk
• Snowboard
• Play tag in the snow
• Cross country ski
• Downhill ski
• Chop wood
• Look for animal tracks in the snow
When the Weather Outside is Too Bad
When it’s too cold or wet to be outdoors, try one of these ideas.
• Play with your kids. They will love it if you push all the furniture and breakables out of the way and run in circles with them! Play Hide and Seek, Simon Says, or dance the Hokey Pokey. The point is to move and have fun!
• Some hotels offer discounted pool memberships or small fees for single visits to their facility.
• Turn on some music and dance.
• Ice skate at an indoor rink.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Walk at your local mall.
• Do the laundry.
• Vacuum.
• Clean house.
• While you watch TV, get active during the commercial breaks. Do stretches, push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, jog in place, or any other favorite exercise.
Stay Warm and Safe
• Dress in layers that you can remove as soon as you start to sweat and then put back on as needed. Start with a thin layer of synthetic material such as polypropylene. It will draw sweat away from your body. Avoid cotton, which stays wet next to your skin.
• Try wearing a thin pair of gloves under a pair of heavier gloves or mittens lined with wool or fleece
• Don’t forget a hat or headband — 30 to 40 percent of your body heat is lost through your head.
• Wear a helmet for ice hockey, skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling.
• Drink water before, during and after your workout — even if you’re not thirsty. You can become just as dehydrated in cold weather as in the heat.
• Remember to use sunscreen. It’s just as easy to get sunburned in the winter as in the summer.
• If it’s dark out, wear reflective clothing and carry a flashlight.
And Last But Not Least Shop Online.
at Keywebco
I couldn’t help myself but mention my own store online. However shopping online when snowed in can be fun and save time later.
Watch educational YouTube videos.
Here are a few of my favorite educational YouTube channels:
- MinutePhysics (all kinds of cool physics)
- CrashCourse (history, chemistry, astronomy, and much more)
- AsapSCIENCE (science topics ranging from biology to psychology)
For more suggestions, check out this Mashable article.
Read our Recipes 4 U Magazine
And our Blogs For Living Magazine
The post Cold Weather, Snowed In, No School, Tips And Fun appeared first on Whaz Up Today.
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