No Sweat Olympics: Active Indoor Games for Kids

Summer weather can often be so hot and humid that no one wants to be very active. These no-sweat active indoor games for kids do not require high-energy output, but are exciting and fun. Living in the south, these activities kept my kids engaged in easy competitive and skill games in the comfort of the cool air-conditioned house. "No Sweat Olympics" can be set up as a team competition or you can give each child a list of activities to do depending on the child's age and stage of development. You can even add some family spirit to this activity by making team pennants and award ribbons.

A simple foil circle with ribbons attached make for a fun medal. Make sure each child receives an award, not only for winning, but for participating as well. Flags or pennants can include the traditional Olympic logo of the five interlocking rings or a newly designed family logo. Make it an entertaining event with these whimsical games below.

Play some body games...

Encourage the children to sit on the floor and try to roll a ball around their own bodies using one hand and then the other. Challenge them to try the same activity from a kneeling position. Here's a skill to see how far you can bend. Give each player a piece of chalk and stand with legs apart on a large sheet of paper. Bending at the waist and stretching, challenge the kids to draw the largest circle possible without falling over. Sounds easy until you try it!

How strong are your toes? Can your kids pick up unsharpened pencils with their toes? It's a tough skill to master, but it can be done. How about playing turtle and see if you can crawl beneath a mat on your back. Can you go from one place in the room to another without losing your shell? This game is sure to bring on the giggles!

Aim and toss games...

Sock basketball can be loads of fun and safe indoors. Roll up balls of socks and aim shots into a plastic clothes basket. Adjust the distance according to age and skill level. Another variation would be to toss a tennis ball into a trash can. The last game is one that gives tasty rewards at the end. Let the children toss a large marshmallow in the air and catch it with a cup. Sounds easy - maybe not, but the kids will try their hardest to reap the rewards in eating the marshmallow as the prize.

Here's an active indoor game that needs skill. Empty a bag of dried lima beans on a table or the floor. Place one bean on the back of the child's hand and see how many other beans they can pick up with the same hand without the original bean falling off. Keep count of each child's endeavor.

Just for fun games...

With the use of a magnet and paper clips your kids can have a fun competition with this game. Help the children make paper worms with paper clip mouths. Draw a maze on a sheet of paper. Place this on a glass table and encourage the kids to set the worm at the beginning of the maze and use the magnet below the paper and glass to manipulate the worm from the beginning of the maze to the end. Use a stopwatch and time each player to see who can do this quickest.

The tradition egg-on-spoon game is fun. Use either hard-boiled or plastic eggs for this game. Place the egg on spoons and let the kids move from one point to another. Who can get to their destination without losing the egg?

These active indoor games for kids are great for hot days, rainy days and even during cabin fever. Make these activities part of your family quality time fun.

Source:

Personal experience with the kids

Everyday TLC Magazine, First Teacher Press, July 24, 2000

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