“Facilitate opportunities for children to have active play inside or bundle them up and send them outside”- Shari Steelsmith

Parents of highly active children face many challenges all year round. But specifically, when the weather gets cold, they feel that children must stay indoors. So, particularly, at this time of the year, parents need to be a little creative for their young and active players.
Physically active children are mostly on the go and sometimes also in a hurry to get somewhere. They might dance while watching videos and wiggles while listening to stories .These children go places and do things, as their energy level pushes them up and out and sometimes they get into trouble. Active children have a tendency to nibble food throughout the day instead of eating three full meals. They also have trouble in sleeping as they don’t like to lie down still. They are also attracted towards elder children who have skills which they want to learn quickly. They have more physical energy than skill or judgment, therefore safety is a prime concern.
Since children won’t stop urging for physical activities during winter, so it requires all the parents to think ahead about how they can keep their children occupied and can permit them enough active play time.

Here are few suggestions for Indoor games-
• Keep some indoor play area available for young children. Some large plastic toys- slide or pull along car or any other ride on toy can be kept for children in some empty room.
• Jumping helps them to release their energy without creating any harm to themselves. A trampoline or some soft mattress can be kept indoors to bounce on. Bouncing ball or rocking horses can keep them playing endlessly.
• Soft mats or carpets can be spread for somersaults or any other physical activity.
• Help your children build an indoor camp. Let them drag out pillows, cushions or bed sheets. It could be messy but be cooperative to them and feel glad that they are constructively engaged.
• Pay great attention to the safety inside the house. The house should be child-proof (no sharp edges of furniture/fence, electricity sockets should be covered or above their touch level, chemicals should be kept out of reach of children)

But still if children want to go outside, here are few suggestions for outdoors-
• Provide your child with right kind of hand and foot warmers and dress them up appropriately.
• The dress/woolen clothes should be comfortable enough to play and move their body parts.
• You can opt to send them out during sunny hours. Watch out if its raining or snowing on and off, then provide them with rain coat and snow gear.
• Take advantage of covered play areas if you live near park or school.
• Arrange for playmates for your child and send them outside to play together tell your child to run laps around your house.