Q&A

Indoor Play for Active Kids

Question

I live in a household that includes two nephews, ages 9 and 11. Both of them are very high-energy boys. How can I help them burn off some of their energy indoors?

Answer

I also have two nephews around this age and I know this is a challenge! Things can get out of hand quickly when they're playing indoors, and the ever-favorite indoor wrestling is not a good option. The object is to engage their interest in an activity that does not involve running and climbing over the furniture. Here are a few ideas for active boys and girls who are stuck indoors.

• A door-mounted basketball goal is one of my nephews' favorite indoor toys. You can find several models that range from $20 to $40.
• More active games that might get their attention are the new Uno Attack, magnetic Darts, a juggling kit, or yo-yo. We like the Toysmith Dart Ball game [Compare Prices].
• Going up in price, the kids would probably love the new Nintendo Wii, which makes playing video games an active sport. Some boys and girls also like the Dance Dance Revolution home video games.
• A creative building project might engage them if they don't have to sit too long while doing it. A few ideas from an elementary school teacher are:

  Create a Zoo
  For this project you need a collection of stuffed animals, cardboard boxes, along with markers and other art stuff to turn the boxes into zoo cages with appropriate habitats for the different animal species. Use your computer to visit famous zoos to get ideas for the habitats.

  Build a Tipi
  Experienced fort builders will love the challenge of building a tipi. It can be done! Just take a look at this one in a 3rd/4th grade classroom. My 3rd grade teacher friend did this project with her class using smaller sticks and a sheet instead of butcher paper. Check out the Native American symbols to paint on your tipi. Extend the play with more Native American crafts.

  Salt Map
  Use homemade salt dough and a piece of cardboard or cookie sheet for the base. Print a map from the computer and recreate it in 3-D with the salt dough. Recipe from Gigglemoose

  Paper Airplanes
  Use your computer to find some new ideas for paper airplane design. See Alex's Paper Airplanes.

  Model Building
  Start with an inexpensive car or airplane model kit from the discount store. Let the boys work together on a model-building project to keep them occupied all afternoon.

• Competition is a natural way to engage active boys, but you have to get creative with indoor competition. Try tossing paper plates at a target or building the highest playing card house. Get a big box of popsicle sticks and school glue to see who can build the tallest stick creation. About's Parenting of Multiples Guide has a good idea for an Indoor Treasure Hunt. Another good treasure hunt game from FunandGames.org is the ABC Treasure Hunt. Kids gather household objects for each letter of the alphabet.

  A stopwatch is good to have for spur-of-the-moment competitions. Use it to time a variety of indoor races, such as Popsicle Stick Slapshot from Scout Games. Kids use a popsicle stick in their mouth to push a ping-pong ball into a homemade net.

• Finally, you might be surprised to find that most active kids love cooking. Creating individual pizzas is a great late-afternoon project; and then guess what, dinner for the kids is ready!