Active Indoor Activities for the Winter

kids roller skating


The cold weather may be keeping you inside this winter, but that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice your family's active lifestyle. From indoor trampoline parks to family-focused YouTube workouts, there are still plenty of ways for you and your kids to burn some energy inside without freezing your tail off outdoors. When the mercury drops below freezing, spend the day doing one of these active indoor activities.

Visit a Trampoline Park

When it comes to burning off energy indoors, there may not be anything as fun as jumping until you drop at a trampoline park. Pack the kids into the car and spend a few hours on the trampoline; we promise they'll sleep great that night. Many trampoline parks allow both adults and kids to jump, so it's a fun and active workout for the entire family.

Check out an Indoor Playground

If it's too cold or the weather is too bad to take your kids to an outdoor playground, take them to an indoor one instead. Many cities have private indoor play parks featuring slides, climbing structures and other fun things to keep the kids entertained. If you don't have an indoor playground near you, take a stroll around your local mall—many have small indoor playgrounds for kids. Even if your local mall doesn't have an indoor play area, the mall walk alone is a good way to encourage your kids to stretch their legs.

Take a Spin Around the Roller-Skating Rink

Lace up your roller skates, in-line skates or ice skates and hit the rink this winter. Skating is a fun and active way to spend the day, and it's an activity that can be enjoyed by kids and adults. Show off your skills twirling and jumping, and you may just impress your kids, too.

Try out Some Family-Focused YouTube Workout Videos

It's not necessary to leave the house to get a family-focused workout in this winter. From yoga to dancing and everything in between, there are hundreds of YouTube workouts suitable for all ages. Push the furniture out of the way, get out your yoga mats and have some family fun following along to a YouTube workout.

Find an Open Gym Time

Even if your kids aren't signed up for gymnastics, many local clubs offer open gym times when kids of all ages can jump, flip and balance on their gym equipment for a nominal fee. Check out the local clubs in your area to find out when open gym times take place.

Dive Into an Indoor Swimming Pool

Swimming might not be the first thing that comes to mind on a cold day, but many recreation centers offer open swim times at their indoor pools, and it's the perfect way to stay active and have fun over the winter. Whether you sign the kids up for swim lessons or just take them to splash around for an hour or two, heated swimming pools are a great way to hang onto summer all year long.

Go Bowling Together

Bowling is a fun family activity and a surprisingly good way to shake off cabin fever, so head on over to your nearest bowling alley and spend a few hours striving for strikes. Your kids will have such a good time that they won't even notice all the energy they're burning.

Clean the House

While this one may elicit a few groans from your kids, cleaning the house is a great way to spend a few active hours and knock out a necessary (if unpopular) chore. Make it fun by turning up the music or holding a "cleaning competition," pitting your kids against each other in a battle to win the reward of cleanest room.

Pick up a Racquet and Hit the Ball Around

Outdoor tennis courts may be covered in snow this winter, but the indoor courts in your area are dry and warm. Make a reservation at a nearby tennis, squash or racquetball court and spend a few hours with your family knocking the ball around in friendly competition.

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