Cardiovascular Activities for Children's Games

With the popularity of video games and children's television programs, children seem to be exercising less and less. The CDC reports that obesity rates in elementary school-age children had increased by more than 50 percent from 1980 to 2006 (see References 1). To combat the growing numbers of overweight children, we must be creative in providing opportunities to participate in fun cardiovascular activities and games. When exercise is seen as fun, children will be more likely to take part.

  1. Circuits

    • Circuit training is a useful way to help children become familiar with a variety of activities that are fun and easy to do. Create several locations, or circuits, using items the children will likely enjoy and have at home. For instance, set up one area with several pogo balls and sticks, set up another area with jump ropes, another with hula hoops, one with scooters and cones and one with basketballs and a hoop.

      Divide the children into five groups and send each group to an area you set up. Explain the proper use of each area. For example, the children on scooters will take turns weaving the scooters in and out of the cones and then returning to the starting point. Once everyone understands the rules, play some fun music and tell them to begin. When you turn the music off, after several minutes, the students will race to their next circuit activity. This is a fun way to help kids get a cardiovascular workout without getting bored.

    Over the Line

    • Use a long rope or thick strip of tape to make a dividing line between two groups of children. Provide each group with an equal amount of balls and soft items such as large sponges. You will want enough items so that there are two or three items per child. The object of the game is to have one team get all its materials over the line. Blow the whistle to start and watch the children race back and forth to throw or kick all the items over the line. Blow the whistle a second time and the team with the fewest items on its side wins.

    Races

    • Let the kids line up and then watch them have a blast as you conduct all sorts of silly races. The object will be to make it to one end of the field and back to the starting place, where you'll be watching for the winners. You can have them run, hop, walk backward, skip, crab walk, crawl, do the wheel barrow and walk three-legged from one end of a field to the other. The kids are sure to have a great time doing all the silly moves and should be motivated to move fast as they compete against their friends.