how to get kids active?!

joankpoirier

I have a daycare that uses.. I did caution her to make sure ALL parents were ok with..
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premiumchilenita

I have a LONG song list, all the songs my kids like, and if you don't know what they like, put on what you like (be mindful of explicit songs and connotations of course) get them dancing. All kids love it, do it every day and then afterwards they will want to do it themselves, get them to copy you. I love dancing ridiculous to my kids and they have a good laugh, but they still follow my actions.

Another one is action songs, I have some songs where I just sing and they do all the actions.

Get them to act out like animals from one side of the room to the other, and keep picking different ones every time they reach the other side.

Indoor obstacle course, active story telling, then the older kids can tell stories to the younger ones which will give you a bit of a breather.

Cubby houses, kids love this and you could probably get them to play in it all day. have lunch in there and read stories and they make their own adventures too. so you can leave them a little while you're attending to other things.

BUBLE BLOWING!! how awesome is this! you blow them they chase them! even the older ones will love this, I'm a grown up and still love this.

Have fun :happy:

momof3and3

You need a schedule!
Do you have them all day or just after school...that will depend on what type of scehdule to use....
If all day, stucture your day as if they were in school/daycare center...
8am...free play...games, cards, color, etc...no tv
9am...snack...have them make their own..yougurt "sundaes", carrots with dip,pretzels with peanutbutter and raisin faces, etc...
10am...outside
11am...do something educational
lunch time
1pm...organized play...board games, cards, puzzles, etc...
2pm...quiet time...read or rest....hugs and cuddle time, too
3pm...playstation for 1/2 hour only....
4pm...playtime...dress up, act out a play, etc...
5pm...snack and than home

organize some of their play time, but other times let them go find something to do....if they say I am bored, tell them to go find something to do! By structuring playstation time and cuddle time you can pre-empt the whinning over it all...

If you have them after school...have snack, free play, homework time, structured playtime, snack and home...

Google some school programs to get ideas...

avafrisbee

You baby sit at your place as I understood right?

Get rid (or hide) the Playstation. When the boys ask to play or where it is or whatever, tell them it was your play station and you sold it.

Then in the morning before it gets too hot go out side and play hokey-pokey, mother may I, red-light/green-light and have relay races. When it's too hot to play outside come in for a snack or lunch.

Inside try dress up see if you can get friends to donate old bridesmaid dresses or prom dresses, old veils, any sort of high heels, costume jewelry, etc.

Boys don't normally want to play dress up but if they do, great! Try thinks like legos, lincon logs, K'nex, etc. Got a punching bag? Or one of those bop clown things. Let them hit and kick that. Blow up balloons and play keep up (don't let the balloon touch the ground)

As for the whining "I'm huuuungry" I'd simply make a rule that she must drink a full glass of water before she gets any food in between designated mean/snack times. If she's still hungry, offer her her least favorite vegetable. My mom did this to me and my brothers growing up. I learned unless I wanted water and peas, I didn't ask. If you are really hungry you'll eat even your least favorite vegetable.

jcpmoore

I know it's hard to work with, but I've been there. I have two sons and a husband that doesn't care to move most of the time. Here's what I do.

Leave the game console right where it is. Take away the remotes and hide THEM. Oh, and hide the TV remote, too. My kids spent some major energy trying to find them. lol If you want, even turn this into a scavenger hunt when they've earned time on the console. And that's the thing-make them earn the time by being active. We use a point system in our house. Certain behaviors earn points, certain amounts of points can be spent, at MY discretion, for game time or other privileges. You decide what the desirable behaviors are - being active, cleaning up an activity, etc. Take away points for undesirable behavior, such as whining, disobeying instructions, etc.

For when they DO have game time, have an active game, like Just Dance or something, that they can all join in with and be active. A dance game really gets those age groups going. I find my kids even want to do yoga and workout videos with me. They love that stuff! All I have to do is start doing it and they are in line and doing it with me.

Do outside activities every day that there is light outside! If it gets hot, then do it early in the morning before it's hot. They need sunlight and they need true running time. Give them a ball to play with or take them to a park. Have a water day and tell parents to bring water clothes for the kids. Have a water balloon game outside.

For inside, don't discount dress up games, like avafrisbee mentioned. And YES boys LOVE dress up! They just prefer dressing up as ninjas, super heroes, and sheriffs and such. Read them a story and have them act it out afterward. My kids do this on their own without my prompting even, so I know kids love it. Have them plan a puppet show or something like that, too. Then you can even have them perform it for the parents one night.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

callmeBAM

Kids like structure and discipline (not like beating them, lol, but routine and expectations) even if it takes a while. Be the adult!

Card games, board games, crafts, all better than watching the boob tube.
Any parks nearby? Give them some water guns and they will run around shooting each other.
Get some tennis rackets and balls.
Go to an indoor mall and walk around on a hot day.
Have them make dinner for their parents.
Take them to an arcade (at least they will be standing up)

samf36

I am also a licensed child care provider. There is no electronics ( tv, gamethings, computer) for children in my home. They will function just fine without them. Kids love to build with legos and block, do art projects, play board games and cards and play outside.
I don't know where you live but you involved with your local childcare provider group , take some classes on childcare activity development and nutrition ect. There are many on-line childcare sites too.

ItsMeRebekah

i take my kids to the park and make them walk at least a mile with me and then they get to play while i run.
and in the words of my daughter "playing IS exercise mom"

for the little tots you just put them in a stroller and away you go!! i had a double for the times when both were very small and i wanted to go distances.. its a great way for them to have fun and everybody to get exercise.

i didn't read the other replies but here are more stuff that gets them out there

the zoo
create easter egg hunts around the yard or park (my kids lov this)
go to the mall and walk around, then let them play in the kid area
take a nature walk and find leaves and stuff and go home and identify what tree's the leaves came from online or thru books from the library (for the older kids)
find museums around you and GO
go to the library and do the kids story time every week - thats totally free and kids love it!
look for your local paper that has kid events, they have them almost daily in my area
do a charity walk, like the march of dimes and explain how you are helping kids in need

you get the idea! there is so much stuff out there to do if you are a SAHM or sitter!! Start planning stuff daily for outside the house and you will find that you are hardly home outside of nap time!

emyishardcore

Maybe hide and seek, and tag?

frankiesats

Make treasure hunts with clues, get the clues making them do star jumps, running up and down etc.

Water games are great, water balloons etc. I used to love having 'water fights' when I was a kid!

Teach them the old school games, tag, etc. Take them to the park, just climbing up and down slides is great for them! Swimming is also great.

kristinL16

How hot is too hot outside? If it truly is too hot (like over 90) then go outside during the mornning hours when it isn't quite so hot yet. Find a park, playground or ballfield close to you. Go for walks or bike rides. Buy scooters and outside toys to keep for them to keep at your house or have them bring some of their favorites from home (basketballs, baseball bats and gloves, other types of balls, etc). Limit the amoun of time they can play the Playstation. When you are inside find other things to do as well. Pinterest is a good resource. If you are watching the kids on a regular basis (whether as a licensed daycare provider or not) then I see it as your responsibility to have things at your house for them to do and to limit their PS time. What toys or games do you have available for them?

ArroganceInStep

Find a public swimming pool.

jenlarz

PBS kids website has different activities and ideas for kids being active also, but there are tons of great suggestions on here already!

stylistchik

With so many kids, why not get big group games going? capture the flag, kick the can, color tag, etc. We did that with the neighborhood kids when we were growing up. If it's hot out run around in the sprinkler, have water gun fights, play with sidewalk chalk. We spent a lot of time playing pretend. We would build forts, we would make fake "cities" out of forts and we got really into it and we'd form allies and try to take over other people's forts. HAHA either way just get them involved in something they enjoy and get their minds working. Then they won't be thinking about video games or food. We even had mini "olympic" games where we had running races, "gymnastic" routines, obstacle courses, etc. and we made silver, gold and bronze medals for the finishers. You could split them into teams and have them make scavenger hunts for each other. My mom also used to make "pinatas" by putting old mcdonald's toys in a brown paper bag, hanging it from the swing set and having us take turns trying to break it. They will get excited over the prizes no matter what it is because they just get excited about being the one to break it.

When I babysat regularly the parents had a rule about no tv between 9 am and 4pm unless it was raining. That was the rule and no one argued about it. It's just as easy to say "this is the new rule, no exceptions." They are also old enough that they would probably have fun making a movie. Every camera/phone has a video recorder on it now days so why not have them "write" their own movie, design props, etc. They can each contribute their own creativity. We used to play with the video camera (even though we weren't supposed to) and we'd usually make news casts or pretend to be FBI agents or something because that was something that the boys and girls were both interested in.

Kaelaharrington

Whatif you make I so they don't know they are exercising like make up games or you could get the interactive games for the play station ! They have used ones everywhere ! I have an Xbox with kinect and I'm telling you it really makes me sweat haha like the running and jumping ones are intense! I know they have something for play station too! And I woul eliminate or hide all drink options but water or milk! and I they refuse water they have flavor mix ins that are fun and low in calories!

jiigglybutt

If you are watching the kids on a regular basis (whether as a licensed daycare provider or not) then I see it as your responsibility to have things at your house for them to do and to limit their PS time. What toys or games do you have available for them?

Well, my daughter has a HUGE toy box full of things that interest all of them but they get bored of it too quickly. I have some art supplies like string and beads, TONS of pasta, etc, but I am starting to run low. When their mom asked me to babysit (today was actually just my 4th day watching kids other than my own!), I really didn't think about what I was getting myself into before I said yes. I just wanted the money so I can hurry up and move out of my apartment and into a house!

I'm obviously not experienced at babysitting a group of kids! But a lot of these replies have given me a bunch of ideas! Defintely like the idea of having a schedule. I actually bought a dry-erase one from the Dollar Tree today. It has pictures of a standard clock and a space to write the time, so they can see what it looks like on the wall or on the digital clock in my daughter's room.

When the boys got home from school today, the first thing they did was turn on the playstation and argue over what game each one wanted to play. I simply turned off the playstation (they were so into the argument, they didn't even notice at first!) and told them to find something else to do. And that was it! All of the kids instantly agreed on playing hide and seek in the house.

A lot of these ideas are great. It is already starting to get over 90 degrees here in Texas and it's usually at the day's high when the kids get home from school. I also live in an apartment complex with no grass anywhere whatsoever. My front yard is a parking lot so I'm kind of ehh when it comes to kicking them outside :laugh: I also have a newborn son so that eliminates some options too.

I am moving into a house in maybe 3 weeks at the most, with a big front and back yard! So that will definitely be great. especially with summer vacation coming up. Once we get caught back up on bills after moving, I will invest in things like water guns, or board games, a sprinkler, paint and paper, etc.

Thanks everybody for the tips and tricks! Any other suggestions would be awesome too :bigsmile:

kristinL16

When you are able, check garage sales or Craigslist for balls and other outdoor toys. I see people advertising for sales like "daycare closing" quite often.

seraphinaglitter

How's it going, lovely?

kurenaikumo

I have no idea, my parents would just lock my brothers and I outside with some toys and balls and make us figure out what the hell we were going to do for entertainment.

Same here- 9:30 you were out the door with your bicycle, and a few lawn games (play catch, frisbee, jump rope, four square etc). 12:00 called in for lunch- 1:00 Outside again, maybe go to the park. 4:00 eat dinner.

claw0416

Read my blog posting on this..We have found a great tool to help get our kids active..We have never had such a geat response like we are now.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/claw0416/view/zamzee-best-thing-since-sliced-bread-420689