As a dietitian who specializes in seeing children and adolescents, one of the most common recommendations I make to families of tweens and teens is to increase activity. In the winter months, many families find this to be a challenge due to cold weather, lack of space, cost of activities, and lack of motivation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ages 6 and up get 60 minutes of activity per day and this does not mean that every tween or teen needs to be involved in organized sports. Physical activity can mean you are awake and moving. The goal is to decrease the time that tweens and teens are participating in passive sitting, which includes video games and watching TV.
When our kids were smaller it was easier for us to find indoor activities for our kids because they could entertain themselves by running in circles around the house or taking couch cushions off the couch and jumping on them. However, as tweens and teens grow and mature they are not as motivated to do those repetitive activities.
10 activities in your home and around Cincinnati to keep your tween or teen active:
1. Household Chores- Parents will love this, but your tween may not be quite on board with this. Provide your child a list of chores to do around the house on a daily basis. Examples include gathering the laundry and loading the machine, vacuuming, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathroom, and outside work (like shoveling snow). Tweens and teens can complete most household chores.
2. Indoor Basketball Hoop- A couple of years ago my son received an over the door basketball hoop from a friend and it has been the best thing. We have two in our house and use a soft basketball with it. Tweens and teens cannot play a full game of basketball, but this will allow them to shoot around a little and using the soft ball will save a window or a lamp.
3. Nerf Gun Battle- Nerf Guns are popular with this age and every time I have participated in a battle with my boys, I always end up with my heart rate up. The only thing I do not like about the nerf gun battle is the darts that are left. The solution is adding “picking up nerf darts” to the chore list or take your own nerf gun and visit Dart Arena in West Chester, where they have a space designed for indoor Nerf Wars.
4. Visit a Community Rec Center- Many communities have recreation centers that are offered to residents at a low cost. These rec centers may have a gymnasium, workout equipment, game rooms, and activities focused on youth. Some of the noted centers in the area are the Blue Ash Rec Center, Cincinnati Recreation Commission, and the YMCA. Contact a center near you to inquire about open gym times, minimum age of using exercise equipment, and pricing.
5. Volunteer– There are various places for tweens and teens to volunteer. Some places even involve the entire family. Volunteer activities may include sorting canned goods, organizing donated clothing, or cleaning. Click here to discover various opportunities in the Cincinnati area.
6. Dance Party– Move the furniture out of the way and create a playlist with your kids and host a family dance party. This is a great way to teach your kids about different genres of music and show off your old dance moves from high school!
7. Hide N’ Go Seek– Encourage your kids to play a game of Hide N’ Go Seek and let them use the entire house. This way it will take them longer to find each other and they may have to cover the basement and the upstairs to find someone.
8. Go Outside- Just because it is cold does not mean the outside is off limits. Bundle up and take a family walk, build a snowman on snow days, or go on a hike at one of the many local parks that are part of Great Parks of Cincinnati Parks, or rather than watch a movie. Remember to, bundle up!
9. Trampoline Parks- Let them jump out their energy. Call around to find the best deals. If your tween or teen has a winter birthday, a great gift would be a gift card to one of these parks.
10. Active Board Games- There are board games that do require some activity. The one that is the most popular is Twister. Others are Family Charades, Guestures, Life (includes activities on their action cards), and Pictionary (best with a large easel for the most action).
Utilize this list to either keep your tweens and teens active at home for low cost or search out opportunities to keep them active around the Cincinnati area during these winter months. Do not forget that you need to be active as well as your example is the best way to teach healthy habits.
