Physical Activities and Toys To Tire Out An Active Child

Isn’t it amazing how much energy our kids have? I want to bottle it up and use it whenever I feel exhausted. Even when it’s time to wind down for the day they can still be running in circles and then I wonder if I should have included even more physical activity during our day. Here are 15 physical activities to tire out an active child.

If you have nearby access to an outdoor swing set, park or playground facilities, consider letting them play and get physical by swinging, climbing, see-sawing up and down, sliding down the slides, bouncing and rocking, and climbing through the tunnels.

When you can’t get to the parks here are some awesome ideas.

Physical Activities to Tire Out Active Kids

Flash light scavenger hunt. Choose a room that’s sufficiently dark when you turn the lights off and close the blinds/curtains. Hide some of the kids items in the room. Using only a flashlight, they have to find the items.

Kids Balance Beam Step-A-Log will have them practicing balance and speed.

Fun piano mat lets your child dance, sing, learn and use that energy!

Another simple physical activity that promotes coordination is jumping rope.

More jumping activity that kids love is to jump on a trampoline. This one is great for little kids while this one works well for older kids.

For a little more calmer exercise, your kids might enjoy yoga. Here’s a great yoga DVD for the littles. And they’ll love getting out their own yoga mat to practice their moves, too! I also just pull up some videos on YouTube. If you have a rare burst of energy put on your own exercise video and they will usually do it with you.

How about a game of basketball? This backboard, hoop and ball will work indoor or out. My boys play with theirs almost every day.

How about a quick game of soccer? These portable pop up soccer goals can be set up quickly in your yard and put away for safe keeping until the next “game.” We also use the orange cones for all sorts of obstacle courses.

A game of Twister! or Charades For Kids is always a fun and silly way to work off some energy!

Hopscotch, anyone? Here’s a great decorative Hopscotch rug for girls. Of course, they could always draw their grid outside with washable chalk!

Kite flying! Adults as well as kids can enjoy this activity. When they get a little older the stunt kites are fun for older kids.

If you have access to a pool, swimming is a great activity. Use pool noodles for even more play. Also, noodles aren’t just for the pool. Kids can use them as soft “sabers” out of the water for even more play.

Balloon fun! Try the “Don’t Let The Balloon Touch The Ground” game. Simple rule is to hit the balloon up in the air but don’t let it touch the ground.

You can make it more challenging for older kids by have them juggle more than 1 balloon, or tie one hand behind their back. Time them to see how long they can do it for, or if you have multiple kids, have them count how many times they can hit it back and forth…then see if they can beat their time or score! This game is great for improving arm strength and hand-eye coordination.

We also tie or tape some yarn across a doorway and play balloon volleyball. This is one of the few games that all ages of kids can play together. I’ll let my 6-year-old play on her feet while my 10-year-old must be on his knees.

Ping Pong Ball Catch. Use plastic cups to catch the ping pong balls.