5 Inexpensive ways to burn off energy for kids

Have you ever tried to make a boy or any child for that matter sit down for longer than 2 minutes? Doesn’t really happen. So embrace the abundance of energy they have. I had to find a way to burn off their energy without destroying my house. If I let them find their own ways to burn off their energy, they would end up riding our Great Dane around the living room or hanging from the fan to escape the dart gun (you think I am exaggerating don’t you?).

Since I have boys, most of these will appeal to boys, however, most of the activities are not gender specific.  I also like it when they can use their minds for problem solving so you will see some activities that engage their brains as well as the running and jumping activities.

 

1. Puppet Show – They think they are really good at it so why not let them have a show. We happen to have a banister upstairs we use to separate the audience from the puppeteers. You could even use the end of the couch for separation. We make simple puppets our of Dad’s old socks or paper bags.
2. Puzzles – We have an absolute ton of these all over our house. Even the dollar store ones that are super easy and the boys like because they can finish it really fast.  They are not watching TV and using their brains to work these puzzles. It’s the little things.
3. Catapults – Say this word to a boy and even if he doesn’t know what it means, I am sure his eyes will light up just thinking about all the destruction he can do. You can use just about anything to make them, i.e. plastic forks, cotton balls, plastic cups, ping pong balls, paper bags. None of these items are super heavy and hopefully won’t destroy anything in your house.
4. Magic Show – Do your boys think they are pretty magical? Put them to the test. They are already pretty good at making things disappear: food, toys, and my money, so why not make a show out of it. 
5. Ring Toss – We have a set at home, but you could make a version of it pretty easily using plastic bottles and diving rings. They can be pretty competitive so we could literally go for an hour or so to see who has the best score.

 

These are all things that can be done indoors so in case it is raining or just too hot to be outside. Have fun!

Brought to you by Sara Gooden of Gooden Plenty.