Online school means hours of sitting in front of computers and screens, both for you and your children. One of the best ways to break up this screen time is with movement sessions, or simply at-home P.E.! One of the aspects of school that gets lost in the translation to online learning is P.E. Recreating physical exercise classes at home is very important for both mental and physical development. Here are some ideas and suggestions.

Why Is P.E. Important?

In addition to giving kids a break from online school, P.E. activities are extremely beneficial in development, and they improve:

• Flexibility
• Cardiovascular endurance
• Muscular strength and endurance
• Agility and balance
• Coordination
• Power and speed
• Reaction times

Physical exercise also has a direct impact on the behavior and development of the brain. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physical activity has an influence on cognitive skills such as concentration and attention. It can also improve children’s attitudes and behaviors.

Exercises for the Whole Family

It can be motivational and encouraging for children to do these exercises with you or the whole family. Take a break from your day to do some of these family-friendly exercises and activities!

Outdoor activities for the family

1. Pickleball
2. PE Shed: This online resource has many great ideas for at-home P.E., including activities, games, and other resources to keep kids active.
3. Color matching game: Draw circles on the sidewalk using chalk, each a different color. Challenge your children to find items of similar colors and place them in the circles.
4. Red light, green light: Line everyone up on one side of your yard and have one person calling out “red light, green light.” To make it more fun, change the instructions from walking or running to jumping, skipping, or spinning!
5. Create an American Ninja Warrior course at home: Watch this video for ideas on how to create your own backyard ninja obstacle course!
6. Fitness bingo
   
   1. Fill out a bingo sheet with different exercises and call them out at random one at a time.
   2. After children complete the exercise, they can mark it on their bingo sheet. First to get bingo wins!
7. Soccer juggling in a group
8. Create your own obstacle course in your backyard
9. Children lead an exercise circuit – their pick!
10. Get Kids Moving workouts: These fun workouts are made especially for kids, and have fun themes like Superheroes, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and more!
11. Beanbag toss (use paper plates or tape for targets).
12. Bowling (set up plastic cups or other objects as targets and roll or kick the ball)
13. Exercise stations: Set up four stations in your backyard, each with a different exercise (hula hooping, jump roping, agility ladders, hopscotch, etc.) and do each for 30 seconds before rotating.
14. Sponge race: Using two teams, set up a bucket of water on one side of the race (one to share or one per team) and on the other side, place a cup or bucket for each team to fill. Children must race from one side with a sponge full of water and squeeze it out into the cup on the other side. First to fill their cup wins!
15. Balloon/beach ball striking: Don’t let it touch the ground!

Indoor Activities for the Family

16. Paper airplane contest: Design and make your own paper airplanes and then see how far they’ll fly! Use long hallways or big rooms to test distance or do fun tricks inside.
17. Obstacle course using household items
18. Treasure hunt: Hide an item somewhere in your home and write out clues or riddles for children to solve and find the item! You can also play hot and cold with this game, saying “warmer” as the person gets closer to the hiding spot and “colder” as he or she moves away from it.
19. The floor is lava! Don’t touch the floor as you get to the other side of the room.
20. Indoor bowling: Using softer objects and a hallway or clear space
21. Balloon volleyball
22. Indoor basketball: Use rolled-up socks as your ball and try to make it in targets, using yarn, paper plates, or baskets.
23. Agility ladders (use painter’s tape to mark ladder spaces).
24. Make an indoor laser maze using a hallway and painter’s tape.
25. Beanbag toss: Arrange targets in a line or spread out and see if you can land your beanbag on the target.
26. Hide-and-go-seek
27. Wax museum: Assign one person to be the guard. While his or her back is turned, everyone can move around freely, but when the person turns around, you have to freeze in your position! Don’t get caught moving.
28. Active board games like Twister
29. Family yoga or stretching:
    Cosmic Kids Yoga: This channel has fun yoga videos for kids and the whole family.
30. Indoor exercise routine (sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, etc.)

Independent Activities for Your Child

Solo Outdoor Activities

31. Jump rope challenges: Assign a challenge each day. For example: 30 jumps without messing up, 10 skipping jumps in a row, etc.
32. Soccer exercises: Practice passing against a wall or juggling (set goals like 10–30 juggles in a row).
33. Shoot baskets, taping marks for where you want to practice shooting from.
34. Tennis against a backboard
35. Agility ladder exercises: Write down which ones they should do.
36. Create your own workout calendar: Your child can check the calendar to see which exercise or activity is assigned (jump rope, ladders, basketball, yoga, etc.). Here’s an example of an exercise calendar.
37. Cosmic Kids Yoga can be done by kids by themselves!
38. P.E. with Joe: This YouTube channel supplies fun, kid-friendly workouts and exercises that can be done indoors or outdoors.
39. Ring toss: Use beanbags and paper plates or hula hoops and a cone or water bottle.
40. Soccer ball bowling

Solo Indoor Activities

41. Coach Wood Workouts: Coach Wood is a popular YouTube channel who does themed workouts for kids! He guides children through an activity or workout with a fun twist.
42. GoNoodle Games: With a variety of games and activities (for a short or long period of time) GoNoodle will get children moving and having fun throughout the day.
43. Balloon striking: Don’t let it touch the ground; challenge yourself by only using your foot or head.
44. Cup stacking: A challenge that improves dexterity and coordination
45. Workout circuit indoors: Assign each room an exercise (sit-ups, jumping jacks, hopscotch, etc.) and have your child complete the circuit.
46. Balance beam: Use a long thin object or painter’s tape on the floor and challenge your child to cross it without falling.
47. Put a twist on a regular indoor scavenger hunt by including a theme that your child enjoys! For example, make it a Pokemon, Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Princess scavenger hunt!
48. Balancing challenge: Balance items like beanbags, books, or other objects on your head as you walk across a room.
49. Find a guided workout for kids on YouTube for them to follow during their workout. Check out these free workouts for kids on YouTube:
    
    1. Kids HIIT Workout
    2. KIDZ BOP Daily Dance Break
50. Digital games like Just Dance get kids moving and having fun. Just Dance Videos are available on YouTube.

Also check out Evan-Moor’s blog, 10 Activities That Kids Can Do with a Soccer Ball for more simple and fun activities that can be done inside or outside.

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Christine Wooler has experience working with children as a youth soccer coach and summer camp counselor. She is currently studying English Literature and journalism in college. She enjoys exploring educational topics that help students have fun while learning.