Winter Fun for Mind, Body, and Soul

Between Thanksgiving and Winter Vacation, my kids have almost three weeks off from school. That’s three weeks out of seven weeks they’ll be at home.

I’m not going to go off on a rant about my kids being home because I enjoy having that extra time I get with them. What I am going to do is give you some ideas on winter fun for mind, body, and soul that keep kids healthy and active during those breaks.

Winter Fun for Mind, Body, and Soul

I don’t know if you’re like me or not, but if I don’t plan ahead winter break can quickly become a lazy fest. It’s the break in routine and school schedules that derail my good intentions and can lead to inactive or unhealthy days.

Not this year though! As we approach the holidays and those winter breaks from school I’m trying to keep a healthy, active lifestyle among that busy holiday schedule!

Mind: Quick and Easy Winter Break Snacks

Knowing the kids are going to be home more during the winter months, I keep quick and easy healthy snacks on hand to keep them energized. Hopefully, that encourages the older two to make smart nutritional choices because that, paired with active lifestyles and self-confidence are integral to helping kids reach their full potential and lead healthy lifestyles.

We like to have fun with our food, and it helps get my twins to try new things. Get creative and turn bananas and bagels into snowmen. A few other quick and easy winter snack combinations in my house include:

• Carrot Sticks or Broccoli and Ranch
• Homemade Fruit Cups with Strawberries, Apples, and Grapes
• Popcorn
• Yogurt

Body: Daily Fitness Challenges for Kids

When the weather is warm, my kids are running around outside, spending all the daylight hours at parks, and getting in as many bike rides as they can. During the Iowa winters, most of those outdoor activities aren’t an option.

Thankfully we have basketball and dance classes to keep the kids active when it’s freezing cold outside, but that’s only once or twice a week.

Wanting to find more fun ways to keep my kids active, I started looking around for some fun kids fitness challenges and stumbled across the Boys & Girls Club Triple Play Handbook for Parents. Inside were several challenges and fun activities to keep kids moving over winter break.

As I was looking through the Triple Play handbook I got an idea…a Daily Fitness Challenge for Kids! Each letter of the alphabet is a different workout giving kids a new daily fitness challenge when the spell out each day of the week.

How fun is that?! Grab the printable below and find more daily fitness challenges for kids from Triple Play, as well as great lessons and activities you can incorporate into your routine!

–> PRINT HERE <–

Soul: Social Interaction

Often times breaks from school mean not seeing friends. If you can, plan an activity with your kids and their friends. Drive around looking at Christmas lights or have them over for a holiday movie night.