Happy Holidays! It’s that time of year full of love, family, gratefulness…and WAY too much sugar. Over the past ten years I have found some quick and fun activities to “get our sillies out” when the kiddos have had too much sugar. I hope these five ideas help you get through those “too much hot chocolate” days!
1. Dance Party! This one is a classic that I use at least once a month with my clients. The best part is you can make it super simple or add fun twists to make it even more exciting! There are some days when I simply play kid friendly music on my cell phone and we dance for at least five minutes. If you have the time, I love to go to the Dollar Tree and buy glow-in-dark sticks for a buck, change out a lamp light for a black-light bulb and play music through speakers. I save these special dance parties for the holidays but you can have them all year ‘round!
2. Obstacle Course! You can be SO creative with this activity and kids absolutely love it! I will usually start with the basics: a few small boxes (I use small Amazon boxes) for them to jump over, painter’s tape on carpet or pool noodles for hardwood floors to create lanes, a big box to use as a tunnel. If your kids are old enough to read, place instructions at each obstacle (ex. Five Jumping Jacks, Spin Two Times, Clap Your Hands). Make it a race! Race with another child or race against their own time. Get excited and cheer them on! This is a great physical activity and you can put one together in 10-15 minutes!
3. Bubbles! Seriously, who doesn’t love bubbles? Grab some fly-swatters, paper towel rolls, nets or any other items for popping. I like to make this a race against the clock! Set a timer on your phone and see if they can pop every bubble in 10-20 seconds. Pro tip-I add mindful breathing to this game. Before we start, I remind them how to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. I say “smell the cake and blow out the candles!” This will add another level of relaxation along with movement and laughter to get those sillies out!
4. Clapping Contest! This one might sound silly, but, it has been a life-saver on more than one occasion of Sugar Sillies with clients over the past couple of years. It’s as easy as it sounds. I sit across from my kiddo (you can have them face each other too!) and tell them we are going to have a clapping contest. Honestly, I’ve gotten some funny looks when I say this but I just start clapping and say something like “I’m clapping so fast! I wonder how fast you can clap). Most kids love the idea of trying to beat an adult at something, especially when it’s a realistic goal! I usually do about four or five rounds that last thirty seconds; or when your hands feel like they are going to fall off. The great thing about this activity is your chid is making eye contact and laughing. Combining laughter, connection and physical activity, this one will have both you and the kids feeling better!
5. Activity Cube! Grab a small box (Tape it shut nice and tight!), construction paper, glue, scissors and a sharpie. Cut construction paper to match the size of all six sides of the box and glue them on. I usually use different colors for each side; honestly, this is a step you can skip if you are in a pinch! After the glue has dried, write six different actions on each side of the box. For example: Touch your toes 5 times, 10 jumping jacks, jump backward 4 times, hop on 1 foot, 3 pushups, Spin around 2 times. Take turns rolling the box and doing the activities together!
I hope these tips help! If you are having fun and laughing with your child while doing these activities together, they will either get their Holiday Sillies out or you will be too happy to care!