5 Family-Friendly Movement Activities

5 Family-Friendly Movement Activities

March 29, 2022 FIT4MOM x Jessica Maurer x Haley Orr

From boosting serotonin levels to improving posture, incorporating movement throughout our daily lives can immensely benefit our well-being. Our little ones are watching us set a wellness example, and we, as parents, should show them that movement is fun! Plus, if we are honest, we must keep them active to manage their natural kid energy.

You want your kids to have healthy habits. Well, telling your kids to move more is one thing, but it’s even better if you show them what that means. Seeing you exercise sends a powerful message to your little ones—but a more powerful message is incorporating them into your fitness program on some days (when they are old enough, of course!). By seeing you move more, they will also want to join in, helping them establish an active lifestyle for themselves.

Haley Orr started her FIT4MOM journey with FIT4MOM Riverside, CA, in 2013 as a brand-new mother who was searching for mom friends. She immediately fell in love with the FIT4MOM community and kept coming back for the amazing workouts. Haley later became an instructor in 2015 and opened FIT4MOM West Sacramento / Natomas in 2018, along with the support of her two workout buddies.

“After years of attending FIT4MOM classes, my two girls think of fitness as fun. They love joining for family runs or will even lead me through a FIT4MOM class. I love to see how much they enjoy moving their bodies and continue to inspire me to stay active,” Haley states.

We want to show our kids that moms are athletes! This is why our Strides 360 classes focus on speed, agility, and quickness. Not only are the drills applicable and transferable, but they are also highly metabolic and fun! We can benefit from quicker reaction times and improved body control during movement. You never know when you will need to sprint after your kids on the playground or dodge a rock on a trail while on a family hike.

This blog shows you 5 fun activities to do with your little ones that will bring back the feeling of recess for you and are inspired by our Strides 360 classes! We bet you can’t do any of these drills without a smile on your face. Movement should be fun, right?

“I love to incorporate playtime into exercise. One of my favorite games as a kid was hopscotch with my neighbors. Using the ladder at Strides 360 brings back those playful memories that you forget you’re working out. I also love playing silly games like Simon Says with exercises like high knees or squat jumps because the whole family can enjoy the fun while staying active!” Haley says.

THE MOVEMENT

Animal Moves

Start at the back of the line with you on one side and the kiddo on the other. Move like an animal to the end of the line then jog back. Try these animals:

Bunny Hop
Frog Jumps
Flamingo Hop

Stuffie Shuffle

Lay the stuffie down in the middle of the floor with a “starter” on one side and a “shuffler” on the other. Both the starter and the shuffler have to move at the same time. The starter shuffles sideways to the stuffie & then jumps over the stuffie to continue shuffling to the side of the room to become the shuffler. The shuffler shuffles sideways behind the stuffie to become the starter. Make sure to reverse directions after the 1-minute.

Flamingo Freeze

Kids and you running in place with fast feet. Shout “freeze” and balance like a flamingo. The kiddo chooses when to say “GO!” for you to start running again.

Horse Gallop

Line up together on one side of the room or yard. Gallop to the other end. Face each other and drop into a squat. While in the squat, walk back to where you started. Bonus if you can give some high-fives along the way!

Hopscotch Race

Hopscotch down the line. Race back to the starting point. Whoever is first back to the starting line does squats until the faster gets back from doing hopscotch again. That means they can go super slow or super quick, depending on how nice they are feeling.

While we love to include our kiddos in our at-home workouts, we do not include them in our nationwide live workouts. We invite you to experience these movements with other local moms by joining us for our Strides 360 classes nationwide.

Strides 360™ promises a heart-pumping workout designed to increase your endurance while also developing speed, agility, and quickness to help you sprint through mom life. Haley shared, “From the first time I experienced a Strides 360 class, I was hooked! It’s a heart-pumping, continuously moving, fast-paced workout that keeps you wanting to return for more. I was shocked at how quickly the hour went by and how empowered I felt. As an instructor, I have even more fun cheering my mamas through their workouts and the support of kiddos. I love the equipment we incorporate into the workout, such as hurdles and ladders, to keep things fun and exciting."

Come play with us