Fun fitness activities-2

Kids today are less active than before. A research study by the American Heart Association shows that it typically takes children 90 seconds longer to run a mile than their parents did 30 years ago. Educators can use these fun fitness activities for kids to get students active and moving in after school programs.

Provide the following fitness activities to promote physical fitness in your after school program:

Cat and Mouse:

Materials:

  • Large space

Instructions:

  • Form a circle with one person inside as a cat and one person on the outside as a mouse.
  • The players forming the circle must try to keep the cat from catching the mouse.
  • If caught, the mouse goes into the circle, that becomes the mouse and a new player becomes the cat!

Crusts and Crumbs

Materials:

  • Large space

Instructions:

  • Divide students into two equal teams, and line them up facing each other.
  • Name one team the Crusts and the other team the Crumbs.
  • When a team’s name is called, they must try to catch as many players on the other team as they can, while the other team runs to the wall behind them.
  • Once caught, players become part of the captors’ team.
  • The team with the most captives wins the game!

Robots

Materials:

  • None

Instructions:

  • Have students stand tall, hop forward, then immediately hop backward.
  • At the same time, ask them to raise one arm up and put one arm down, alternating simultaneously.
  • Repeat this 20 times.

Hand Walks

Materials:

  • None

Instructions:

  • Have students bend forward at the waist and touch their hands to the floor.
  • Then, ask them to walk their hands forward, backward, left and right for a specified count.
  • Repeat five times.
  • This fitness activity is a great way to develop balance, strength and flexibility in kids!

Musical Frogs

Materials:

Instructions:

  • Use the construction paper to create “lily pads,” and arrange them in a circle as you would arrange chairs in a game of musical chairs.
  • Play the music, and have students hop around like frogs until the music stops.
  • When it stops, students must find a “lily pad” to hop on. The “frog” left without a lily pad is out!
  • Play until there is only one frog left standing!