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-Dance classes
-Gymnastics
-Normal basketball, soccer, capture the flag games
-Make up a dance to favorite song, record self doing dance with classmates, and post on google classroom.

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U Can't Touch This | Songs For Kids | Dance Along | GoNoodle

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-Go on a hike to get exercise
-Play gym games outdoors instead of in a small gym inside
-Have students use iPad to check the weather outside before going on a hike.
-Have students keep track of how long the hike was with a fitbit, apple watch, or iPhone

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Good weather draws everyone outdoors, regardless of the season. Younger children naturally adventure outside for playtime, while older children usually gravitate toward more focused activities including team and individual sports.

No matter their age, it's important for children to use their imaginations and explore their interests when they spend time outside. It's also a good idea for them to make the most of their time outside by getting valuable exercise.

As a virtual school family, you may have already developed your own physical education program. Below are some ideas geared toward summer that you might not have thought of and may want to add to your list! Or, if you're a parent who is just starting to develop ideas for your child's P.E. program, then you may use this list of outdoor physical activities to encourage him or her to stay active. Whatever your situation, the activities on this list will remind you of favorite pastimes and give you new ideas.

Outdoor Races

Children can get cardiovascular exercise by walking, jogging, or running, but races add excitement and help children increase their speed and agility. Here are some ideas for races.

1. Timed scavenger hunt. Set a time limit for kids to find all of the objects on a list of items found in nature. Whoever has the most items when the clock runs out wins. Older children can even coordinate the scavenger hunt.

2. Lightning bug hunt. Encourage children to catch as many lightning bugs in a jar as they can, and see who can capture the most. Make sure you set the bugs free again!

3. Sponge race. Each participant in this race needs a sponge and two buckets, one filled with water, and the other empty. Participants run from the empty bucket to the full bucket across the yard, filling the sponge and returning to the empty bucket to squeeze the water into it. The first person to fill the empty bucket to the designated line wins.

4. Shoebox shoe relays. Take two shoeboxes and tape the lids to them. Cut an opening in each lid that's big enough for a child's foot to slip into. The first participant will put on the shoebox shoes and walk as fast as he or she can to the next player, who will then put on the shoes and continue the race. Repeat until all the participants have gotten a turn. Time the group and then tell them to try again to see if they can beat their original time.

5. Wash the car. Ask younger kids to guess how long they think it will take to wash the family car. Set a goal and race together to the deadline, giving your arm muscles some good exercise. Teens who are becoming new drivers can try speed-washing on their own to earn privileges for taking out the family car.

Outdoor Yard Sports and Games

These activities require equipment, but you can easily set up and play them in your own yard.

1. Field sports. Activities such as handball, kickball, baseball, and flag football require a larger outdoor space and group of players. You'll need the right athletic balls and materials to mark bases or lines on the grass.

2. Net sports. Tennis requires a flat court, but you can set up outdoor volleyball or badminton in the grass. Each sport requires a net, and you'll also need racquets and birdies or a volleyball. Badminton nets are hung right above the ground, while standard volleyball nets are about seven feet high. Two to four people can play each sport, although larger teams are usually more fun for volleyball. Volleyball is always more fun at the beach, but you might find volleyball courts at a public swimming pool in your area.

3. Frisbee games. Ultimate Frisbee is fun for all ages and is more active and competitive than simple catch. You can also try a simple form of Frisbee or disc golf by placing baskets in different parts of the yard and trying to land the Frisbee inside.

4. Solitary exercise. Practice jumping rope or Hula-Hooping, both of which are excellent forms of exercise if done regularly.

5. Group games. Try some variations on classics: freeze or flashlight tag, Simon Says with balls or other items, and water bottle bowling in the yard.

Outdoor Pool Activities

1. Endurance training. Swimming or jogging laps is great for cardio exercise and muscle toning. Both younger and older children who want to become better swimmers and stronger athletes should do laps regularly and track their progress.

2. Diving games. Diving for objects at the bottom of the pool helps swimmers practice holding their breath longer. It's also a lot of fun if you play diving games, such as racing to find as many coins as possible within a time limit or within one breath.

3. Water aerobics. Instead of signing up for a water aerobics class, create your own exercise routine for the backyard pool. Children of all ages and their parents can get involved. Watch water aerobics videos to learn some moves, and consider using a pair of water weights.

4. Water sports. If you get tired of playing Marco Polo, try more advanced water sports. You need a goal for water polo, a net for volleyball, and a hoop for basketball, and all three require balls.

5. Water wars. There are plenty of ways for groups to have fun with water fights. Challenge children to stay on their rafts while practicing their splashing techniques on each other or while shooting water guns.

If thunderstorms keep you inside, you can always try these indoor P.E. activities for grades K-5 and 6-12.

Let us know your favorite races, games, and sports for the yard and pool.

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15 Outdoor P.E. Activities for Grades K-12 | Connections Academy

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Good weather draws everyone outdoors, regardless of the season. Younger children naturally adventure outside for playtime, while older children usually gravitate toward more focused activities including team and individual sports. No matter their age, it's important for children to use their imaginations and explore their interests when they spend time outside.

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-Have students timing how fast they can run a mile with stopwatch on iPad
-Have students count out loud how many jumping jacks, sit ups, and push ups they do.
-Keep track of how much physical activity they do outside of school with a fitbit or apple watch.

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-Play team games so that students are able to work on teamwork.
-Teach students about empathy and how to win respectively and lose without being crushed.
-Have students record the game they play together, so they can watch how they interact with their teammates.

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Table of Contents

Teamwork is a very important aspect for kids to learn, especially as it pertains to sports and other kids activities. Below we break down 5 super fun team building activities for kids that can be done in any place: summer cap, school, the park, or your backyard. But before we review our favorite kids team building activities and games, we'd like to quickly discuss their importance:

Why are Team Building Activities Beneficial for Kids?

Kids between the age of 7 and 13 are starting to discover that they have a real curiosity about the world, with an understand that they have some independence as well. In order to fuse together these two notions of curiosity and independence, kids need to learn skills. And because kids are often with other kids, they need to learn how to do activities with other kids. Call it a team.

Any coach or parent knows that in order for a team to succeed (measured by satisfaction, fulfillment, and skill learning for kids), it is important to attain chemistry. Kids need to learn how to play with each other, how to help each other, how to have fun together, and how to learn skills together. That is why team building activities for kids is an important aspect for kids development. Without further ado, we break down our 5 favorite kinds team building activities and games:

7 Classic Fun Team-Building Activities & Games For Kids of All Ages

Here are a few awesome team-based activities and games that your kids will both enjoy and learn a lot from:

1) Group Jump Rope

One might think that a jump rope is a solo sport or active activity for kids. In reality, however, it can be used as an awesome team kids' building activity. First, you'll need a really large jump rope, and ideally two adults or teens. Each adult and/or teen then holds the end of each side of the jump rope. The kids (depending on the length of the jump rope) then stand in the middle and jump together as the adults/teens swing the jump rope! It's a great game because it is super simple, but also requires coordination and symmetry between two kids. It probably makes sense to start small with just two kids. And if there are many kids, then you can try competition, and score each pair of kids on how many successful jumps they land, or how long they can last without getting tangled up.

2) Human Knot Kids Version

The famous human knot game is often tried with adults in co-working environments, but it is actually quite a fun and useful kids team building game and activity. Basically, have a group of kids sit together in a circle, ideally a minimum of 5-6 kids. Have each kid randomly grab (lightly!) someone else's wrist and hold onto it. Once everyone's wrists are accounted for, instruct the kids to try and untangle themselves, but without letting go of anyone's wrists! This is a really fun game which borders on strategy and chaos. Obviously it is important to warn the kids to play this game slowly and gingerly, so that no one gets hurt. In some cases, it might be preferred to allow kids to release a wrist in order to properly untangle themselves. This is a great team building game for kids because it forces kids to work together toward a solution that everyone is aiming toward.

To make this kids game even more of a team building activity, you can instruct the kids that they cannot speak - thereby forcing them to strategize with body language, which likely increase the team chemistry that the game sets out to teach.

3) Traffic Lights!

This is a classic team building kids' game which can be modified to increase the chemistry and team building between kids. The classic version involves an adult standing at the head of a room, intermittently shouting out 'RED', 'YELLOW', or 'GREEN'. The kids stand at the opposite side of the room, and can run forward on GREEN, must stop at RED, and can walk slowly on YELLOW. The kids' twist is to have a kid become the traffic light. And if there are enough kids, then they can be broken up into two separate teams. And the team that completes the Traffic Lights challenge first, by getting all kids to their side first, wins! The team building aspect here is that the traffic light representative is on the other team, and the kids trying to race across the room are not racing against each-other, but rather collectively, in order to beat the other team of racers. This way instead of competing with each-other, they must collectively defeat the traffic light, and the other team.

4) Forehead Dots

This is a really easy activity game to set up, but really hard for kids to solve! That's precisely why this is a great team building activitiy for kids. Each kid gets a colored dot, which is then lightly taped onto their forehead. Each kid must then figure out what color dot is on their forehead, but obviously without asking any other kids for help. Depending on the number of kids, there will be only a few colored dots (so a few kids will have the same color). This is a great team building game, because it forces kids to communicate non verbally. The first team that arrives together (with the correct colored dots on their heads) is the winner!

5) Birthday Line-Up

You may have noticed a theme with our team building for kids activities: the fewer words spoken, the more effective the game. And that is no different for Birthday line-up, in which kids are assembled into a group and must line up according to the order of their birthdays. Obviously it would be very difficult for kids to get this 100% correct on their first try, but it would not be outrageous for kids to get a sense of a general idea of each other's birthdays by moving toward certain areas on the line. To make the game more compelling, give kids 1 minute to line up the first time, then observe the final line-up and tell them which kids are out of place, then give them an additional minute to fix the positioning.

6) Trust Walk

This is a classic kids' team building activity which can be done in either pairs or groups. The ideal playing area is a safe, enclosed outdoors area (like a backyard or small park), in which there is a start area and finish area. One kid is blindfolded and spun around (not too fast - we don't any kids getting dizzy!). Move the kid around a few steps so that he isn't in the same exact position as he was before. Then have another kid come over and act as a guide. The guide must get the blindfolded kid to get to the finish area - but he can't touch him, and can only give verbal cues. To make the game more difficult, (and meaningful in terms of building team chemistry and such), the guide can't use any directional language. So instead of simply saying "go forward 5 steps, then go left five steps", the guide can only say directives such as "walk until you step on a branch", followed by "now head toward the tree", and the kid will be guided by the location of the voice of the guide. This game can be mixed up a bit to include multiple players, making it trickier and more competitive.

7) Finger Tip Hula Hoop

There are a number of awesome hula hoop games which really pushes kids to work together and build chemistry. Our favorite is the helium hoop game, in which kids must work together as a group in order to lower the hula hoop to the ground. Every kid must only use their index fingers to lower the hoop (in unison) to the ground. Check out this great video below which shows how the finger tip helium hula hoop game is a great way to build team chemistry for kids:

Indoor Team Building Games for Kids

Raining outside? Stuck inside for whatever reason? No problem - there are plenty of awesome and fun indoor team building games for kids. The games listed above may apply here, but if you're looking for games and activities that are exclusive for the indoors or a gym, then here are 3 great choices:

1. Cops and Robbers: This classic gym game is also an underrated team building game that kids will almost always love! The kids who are labeled as cops must work together to corral all the robbers behind the cones. Teamwork at its finest!

2. Protect the Castle: Though not as well known as Cops and Robbers, this fun kids team building game makes kids coordinate amongst each-other in order to successfully knock over all the targets. Read the instructions here.

3. Sink the Ship: The indoor team building game for kids requires a gymnasium, but is a highly entertaining game which requires teamwork and working together. See the tutorial video here.

Outdoor Team Building Games for Kids

Things are always more fun outside, whether its the sunshine or the cool breeze flowing through a park or a field. Outdoor activities are always more fun and adventurous. Often times, sports provide the best team building exercises. Get your kids together for these awesome outdoor games which should help with teamwork and team building chemistry and rapport:

1. Basketball passing lanes: If you can secure an outdoor court, have your kids line up on opposite ends of the court, and then instruct the kids to start running in the same direction. The premise is for each kid to pass the ball and to never hold it for more than 1 second. This forces the kids to constantly be looking for teammates, and to securely pass them the ball.

2. Soccer passing lanes: This game is the same premise as above, but replace the basketball with a soccer ball. This is obviously trickier, since catching a soccer ball with legs is harder than catching a basketball with hands. To improve the quality of play, have the kids stand closer to each other so that the passing goes off in a simpler format.

3. Tag with a twist: Set up a normal game of tag, but instead of one kid being "it", there will be a two kids who will be "it". This forces the pair to chase other kids together, and in order to tag someone, both of the pair must successfully tag the target. This forces the pair to work together and build chemistry and rapport.

Team Building Activities for Pre-Schoolers

Pre-school kids have all the fun in the world - no class, no homework, and tons of fun activities! Pre-school officially starts at age 2 1/2, which is around the time your toddler starts to grow into a kid. This formative age can definitely benefit from team building activities for pre-school level toddlers and kids - check out 3 great choices below:

1. Duck Duck Goose: No pre-school activity list would be complete without Duck Duck Goose - a classic game that every toddler needs to play. Though this game can get chaotic pretty quickly, it plants the seeds for early team building development among toddlers and kids.

2. Group Juggling: Though it is likely that your pre-schooler isn't truly able to juggle, that is okay. This game will enrapture kids - learning to juggle for the first time, and having to work together, creates a very valuable and fun educational scenario where kids are learning new skills but must work together to succeed.

3. Three Legged Race: Another classic pre-school game that helps create teamwork among kids. By attaching kids at the ankles, they must work together to succeed in what ends up being a fun and funny scenario.

Team Building Activities for KS2 Middle Schoolers

Middle school, also known as KS2, is a ripe age for team building activities and games, in that kids can benefit at a rapid pace, because they are experiencing critical thinking for the first time. If you're a teacher, educator, or parent looking for interesting games or activities which will help develop chemistry, collaboration, rapport, and team building among middle school or KS2 students and kids, then take a look at these below:

1. Minefield: There is a lot of freedom and creativity that can be employed here by the teacher, but the basic premise is to divide students into two teams, in which they must navigate an obstacle course while blindfolded. Teamwork is crucial here, as teammates must help guide eachother in order to successfully navigate the obstacle course.

2. Treasure Hunt: As with Minefield, there is no shortage to the creative direction that a teacher can mold this game. The great thing about Treasure Hunt is that any item at home or in the classroom can be used, and hidden, and allow for middle schoolers to team up and work together in an effort to find all the treasures.

3. Hot Seat: This kids game is more for the classroom, and is better for smaller class sizes. Hot Seat is a great team building middle school game because it teaches vocabulary, but also allows for plenty of excitement in a musical chairs-style format for kids to get their energy going in the classroom. Check out the rules here.

Team Building Exercises for Siblings

Siblings spend a lot of time together as it is. And yet, as a parent, you might still feel the need to strengthen your kids relationships with each-other, which is why team building activities for siblings can be both fun and effective. These activities will provide for some healthy competition, but also strengthen the bonding between kids.

1. Freeze Dance: This is a uniquely fun game for siblings to play at home. Simply turn on the music and let the siblings dance. Then turn it off suddenly, and the kids must freeze - whoever doesn't freeze gets a point! The reason this is a great sibling game is because kids are more comfortable to let loose while at home among just family. This dance game will increase bonding and comfortability among siblings and family.

2. Scavenger Hunt: A home is the perfect place for a scavenger hunt! This is because there are many nooks and crannies that only a resident would be able to figure out. Have the parent hide a few treasures around the home, and have the siblings work together to figure out clues to locate where the treasures are buried!

3. Puzzles: This more of a niche than a specific game, but puzzles are very beneficial toward kids learning to work together as a team. And if it's a rainy day at home, then a large puzzle is a great activity for your kids to sit around and play. The slow pace of the puzzle forces your kids and siblings to work together for long stretches, with patience, until they finish.

Check out a few other related links below:

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22 Fun Team Building Games & Activities for Kids - UNICEF Kid Power

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Teamwork is a very important aspect for kids to learn, especially as it pertains to sports and other kids activities. Below we break down 5 super fun team building activities for kids that can be done in any place: summer cap, school, the park, or your backyard.

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-Have students keep a detailed journal about what they eat, how much they sleep, how much water they drink, and how much physical activity they participate in
-Have them record their journal on google docs, iPhone notes, or a Microsoft word document.

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Journal Prompts to Celebrate Exercise With Your Child Week - Exercise isn't just for people who want to lose weight - it's also an essential part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Celebrate Exercise With Your Child Week during August 8-14 with these 51 new journal prompts.

As students journal about exercise, they will be able to think about how exercise can have an impact on their lives. They'll consider ways they and their parents can exercise together despite busy schedules, while also thinking about the way they feel after a good workout. After journaling about all the fun and great feelings that come with an active lifestyle, students will be excited to start exercising!

Exercise With Your Child

Week encourages parents to work out with their children in order to teach them the importance of exercise and physical activity. With more children reaching levels of obesity, it's important for kids to understand the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Help students get a jump on their way to a happy and healthy lifestyle with these new journal prompts!

51 Exercise-Themed Kid Writing Ideas to
Celebrate Exercise With Your Child Week

1. How can you encourage others to exercise? What benefits will you share with them?

2. How can you and your parents exercise together?

3. Why is exercise so important?

4. Do you like exercising indoors or outdoors better?

5. What is your favorite part of gym class?

6. After I exercise, I feel...

7. Devise a fun game that involves running, jumping, skipping, and hopping.

8. Write about the importance of stretching before and after workouts.

9. Would you rather take a long walk or a short run? What are the benefits of each?

10. How often do you exercise?

11. Come up with three ways you and your family can get more active together.

12. How can you encourage your family to exercise together?

13. Does your family go to a gym?

14. Nutrition is also very important to fitness - how does good nutrition relate to exercise?

15. Make a list of five small ways people could be more active and write about their importance.

16. What is your favorite sport that gets you moving?

17. What do you know about the benefits of exercise?

18. What is your favorite way to exercise?

19. How does living an active lifestyle help you to appreciate your mobility?

20. What are some ways to make exercise even more fun?

21. What is your exercise commitment? How will you keep it?

22. Describe your ideal workout routine.

23. How many days each week are you active?

24. What does it mean to have an active lifestyle?

25. How can you and your family make time together for exercise each day?

26. What do you think of when you think of exercise?

27. Do you like listening to music while you exercise? What kind? How does it make you feel?

28. How does your body feel after you exercise?

29. What emotions do you feel when you exercise?

30. How can you teach your family about the benefits of exercise?

31. Do you think people exercise enough?

32. Is it more important to exercise or eat right - or both?

33. Do you exercise with your family or by yourself?

34. How do you feel when you go a long time without exercising?

35. How does your pet help you to exercise?

36. What are some surprising ways to get exercise?

37. Write about the best workout you ever had.

38. What are some good exercises to do inside when it gets cold or rainy?

39. What are your favorite active things to do outside when it's warm?

40. The best part of exercising is...

41. After exercising with your family, how do you feel?

42. Make a week-long exercise schedule of games for you and a parent to follow.

43. What are some of the largest benefits of exercise?

44. What is your favorite kind of exercise machine?

45. Do you prefer getting active by playing team sports or individual ones?

46. How can exercise be a good time to connect with your family?

47. What is the most important thing you've learned about exercise?

48. What time of day do you like to exercise?

49. Is exercise important to your family?

50. Think of ten active things you can do with your parents.

51. Do you believe exercise is important? How can you implement this belief into your life?

Until next time, write on...
If you enjoyed these Exercise-Themed Writing Ideas for Kids,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!

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Exercise With Your Child Week encourages parents to work out with their children in order to teach them the importance of exercise and physical activity. Help students get a jump on their way to a happy and healthy lifestyle with these new journal prompts!