Energy Burners That Get Kids Moving (And Off Their Screens!)
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Hello fellow parents bracing for school break survival mode!
Whether you're facing a week-long half-term or the marathon of summer vacation, we all know that mysterious phenomenon: kids' energy levels skyrocket precisely as parental batteries drain to critical levels.
So I've come up with some energy-burning activities you can have to hand to help preserve your sanity (and furniture).
Consider this your emergency toolkit for when the walls start closing in and you find yourself googling 'How much outdoor time do children legally need?
When restless energy hits and the walls seem to be closing in, these active screen-free activities will help children burn off steam while (added bonus) building their physical skills.
The Many Wonders Of Physical Activity
Children naturally have abundant energy that needs healthy outlets. Regular physical activity not only helps children maintain a healthy weight and develop strong muscles and bones, but it also:
- Improves focus and concentration for learning
- Enhances sleep quality and duration
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Improves mood and behavior
- Builds confidence and social skills
The activities below are specifically focused on helping kids to channel their boundless energy in productive, fun ways without relying on screens.
I've divided the ideas up into indoor and outdoor categories to help make life even easier for you.
Indoor Energy Burners
1. Indoor Obstacle Course
- Prep time: 5-10 minutes
- Materials: Household items like pillows, chairs, blankets, masking tape
- Space needed: Living room or hallway
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Create a circuit of challenges: crawl under tables, hop between pillows, balance on a tape line, crab walk around furniture, somersault on cushions. Time each completion and challenge kids to beat their record.
- Skill building: Gross motor coordination, balance, spatial awareness
2. Balloon Volleyball
- Prep time: 1 minute
- Materials: Balloon, string or masking tape for "net"
- Space needed: Living room
- Energy level: Medium-High
- How it works: String a "net" between two chairs or mark a line on the floor. Players must keep the balloon from touching the ground while hitting it back and forth over the net.
- Skill building: Hand-eye coordination, reaction time, cooperation
3. Animal Movement Races
- Prep time: None
- Materials: None
- Space needed: Hallway or open room
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Call out different animals and have kids race from one side of the room to the other moving like that animal: bear crawl, crab walk, bunny hop, elephant stomp, frog jump, etc.
- Skill building: Gross motor skills, listening skills, creativity
4. Pillow Fight Fitness
- Prep time: 1 minute
- Materials: Soft pillows
- Space needed: Bedroom or living room
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Create a designated pillow fight zone with clear boundaries and rules (no hitting faces, stop immediately if someone says "stop"). Great for sibling energy release!
- Skill building: Coordination, self-regulation, appropriate rough-and-tumble play
5. Dance Freeze
- Prep time: 1 minute
- Materials: Music player
- Space needed: Any open space
- Energy level: Medium-High
- How it works: Play music and have kids dance wildly. When you pause the music, they must freeze in position until the music resumes.
- Skill building: Listening skills, self-control, creativity, rhythm
Backyard Energy Burners
1. Ninja Warrior Course
- Prep time: 10-15 minutes
- Materials: Outdoor toys, garden items, hose, rope
- Space needed: Backyard
- Energy level: Very High
- How it works: Create challenging stations: jump from hula hoop to hula hoop, balance on a garden edging, swing from a secured rope, army crawl under a sprinkler, etc.
- Skill building: Strength, balance, coordination, perseverance
2. Target Practice
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Materials: Balls or water balloons, buckets or targets
- Space needed: Yard or driveway
- Energy level: Medium-High
- How it works: Set up targets at varying distances and have kids throw balls to hit them. Increase difficulty by having them throw from different positions (standing on one foot, after spinning in a circle).
- Skill building: Aim, coordination, focus
3. Sidewalk Circuit Training
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Materials: Sidewalk chalk
- Space needed: Driveway or sidewalk
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Draw different exercise stations with chalk: 10 jumping jacks here, 5 push-ups there, hop on one foot in this circle, etc. Create a path between stations and time how quickly they can complete the circuit.
- Skill building: Strength, endurance, following instructions
4. Water Relay Races
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Materials: Buckets, cups or sponges, water
- Space needed: Yard
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Fill one bucket with water and place an empty bucket some distance away. Kids must transfer water from one bucket to the other using only a cup or sponge, running back and forth.
- Skill building: Speed, careful movement, determination
5. Jump Rope Challenges
- Prep time: 1 minute
- Materials: Jump rope
- Space needed: Flat outdoor surface
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Beyond basic jumping, teach various jump rope skills: cross arms, double jumps, hopping on one foot. For beginners, lay the rope on the ground in different shapes for them to jump over.
- Skill building: Coordination, rhythm, cardiovascular fitness
Energy Burners by Age Group
I also thought it would be useful to divide up some of the ideas by age group. Of course there aren't any hard and fast rules here, you know your kids better than anyone...
Ages 3-5
1. Follow the Leader
- Energy level: Adjustable
- How it works: Be the leader and perform movements that preschoolers love: marching high knees, arm circles, hopping, spinning, crawling. Switch roles and let them lead.
2. Bubble Chase
- Energy level: Medium-High
- Materials: Bubble solution and wand
- How it works: Blow bubbles and have kids chase and pop them before they hit the ground. Count how many they can pop.
3. Action Songs
- Energy level: Medium
- How it works: Songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," "If You're Happy and You Know It," and "The Hokey Pokey" get little ones moving while learning body parts.
4. Scarf Dancing
- Energy level: Medium
- Materials: Lightweight scarves
- How it works: Play music and demonstrate different ways to move with scarves: waving high, low, fast, slow, twirling, jumping.
5. Bean Bag Toss
- Energy level: Medium
- Materials: Bean bags (or rolled-up socks), baskets or targets
- How it works: Set up targets and practice throwing underhand. Gradually increase distance as skills improve.
Ages 6-9
1. Hopscotch Variations
- Energy level: Medium
- Materials: Chalk or masking tape
- How it works: Beyond traditional hopscotch, create different patterns: spirals, zig-zags, or alphabet hopscotch where they name something starting with each letter they land on.
2. Fitness Dice
- Energy level: High
- Materials: Two dice and a chart
- How it works: Create a chart assigning exercises to each number (1=jumping jacks, 2=push-ups, etc.). Roll both dice—one for the exercise type and one for repetitions.
3. Balloon Badminton
- Energy level: Medium-High
- Materials: Balloons, fly swatters or paper plates on sticks
- How it works: Create simple rackets from paper plates stapled to paint stirrers or use fly swatters. Hit balloons back and forth without letting them touch the ground.
4. Wheelbarrow Races
- Energy level: High
- How it works: One child walks on hands while another holds their legs. Great for building upper body strength!
5. Sock Skating
- Energy level: Medium-High
- Materials: Smooth floor, slippery socks
- How it works: Clear a space on a smooth floor and let kids "skate" in their socks. Add music for a skating performance.
Ages 10-12
1. Create-a-Sport
- Energy level: High
- Materials: Various balls, household items
- How it works: Challenge kids to invent a new sport with its own rules using available equipment. Have them teach it to the family.
2. Minute-to-Win-It Challenges
- Energy level: High
- Materials: Household items
- How it works: Set up timed challenges: stack cups in a pyramid, transfer items with a straw by suction, bounce ping pong balls into cups, etc.
We've got some cute ice-cream themed Minute To Win It challenges in our Ice-Cream Themed Kids Games Bundle. and a further three fun Minute To Win It challenges in our Summer Themed Games Bundle.
3. Personal Best Challenges
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Create challenges where kids compete against themselves: How many jumping jacks in 1 minute? How long can you hold a plank? How many basketball shots can you make in 2 minutes?
4. DIY Parkour
- Energy level: Very High
- Materials: Sturdy furniture, cushions
- How it works: Create a safe indoor parkour course with clear rules about which furniture can be used. Demonstrate safe ways to vault, jump, and land.
5. Shadow Tag
- Energy level: High
- How it works: Instead of tagging people, players try to step on each other's shadows. Best played outside on sunny days.
Built-In Activity
Now here's something to bear in mind. Rather than treating physical activity as a special event, create an environment that encourages movement throughout the day:
1. Movement Zones
Designate specific areas in your home where active play is always welcome. A basement corner with tumbling mats, a hallway cleared for running games, or a backyard area set up for target practice.
2. Active Transitions
Use physical activities to transition between tasks: "Before we start homework, let's do 20 jumping jacks" or "Race you to the bathroom to brush teeth!"
3. Family Activity Time
Schedule 20-30 minutes of family physical activity daily. Take turns letting each family member choose the activity.
Connect With Our Boredom Jar Cards
Our Boredom Jar Cards for Kids include dozens of energy-burning activities to help inspire you and your kids.
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