As a parent, you know that feeling – the kids have been cooped up all day or it’s raining outside and they just have too much pent-up energy. They’re bouncing off the walls, fighting with each other, and you just want five minutes of peace and quiet. Enter: activities designed to wear kids out through good old-fashioned play and exercise. With a little strategic planning, you can turn to these high-energy activities that will wear your kids out so they (and you!) can get some much-needed rest and relaxation.
Inflatable Parks
In recent years, indoor inflatable parks have popped up in cities across the country. These warehouse-like spaces are filled with giant inflatable structures like obstacle courses, slides, moon bounces, and more. Kids can jump, climb, slide and bounce to their heart’s content, getting out all that bottled up energy.
The great thing about inflatable parks is that they provide a very concentrated dose of physical activity that ticks all the boxes: climbing, jumping, crawling, rolling, bouncing. An hour or two in an inflatable park can tire kids out like nothing else! Most parks have age groupings so bigger kids don’t overwhelm littler ones. And padded floors and close supervision mean inflatable play is also a safe way for kids to exhaust themselves. You can look up the rules and prices on their website before you go. For example, these Do The Beach FAQs cover everything from pricing and age limits to safety and accessibility.
Indoor Playgrounds
While not as extreme as inflatable parks, indoor playgrounds can also help kids burn through energy on rainy days or cold winter weekends. Malls, fast food restaurants, and kids’ gym franchises often have indoor playgrounds with equipment like:
- Tube slides
- Ball pits
- Rope ladders
- Bridges
- Tunnels
- Mini rock climbing walls
You can let your kids run around and play while you relax with a book or chat with a friend. Let them take the lead in imagining games and adventures – playgrounds spur creativity too! Set a time limit to leave and then let them go wild. The multi-level structures and obstacles will keep them active and engaged.
Active Games and Sports
Getting kids moving with classic active games and sports is another good standby for wearing them out. Tag, kickball, soccer, relay races, freeze dance, Twister, hopscotch, jump rope – you name it. Any activity that has them up and moving will release some of that restless energy. You can set up games in your own backyard, at a park, or indoor gymnasium.
Team sports, even modified ones, are great too. They teach cooperation, strategy and sportsmanship. Options like T-ball, soccer, basketball, and tumbling classes tailored for littler kids get their limbs stretching and reaching in new ways. Plus running drills and relay races during practice ensure cardio. You’ll see them zonked out once they get home.
Active Attractions
When planning day trips or vacations, consider destinations and attractions where kids are moving. Children’s museums often have multi-story play structures, ball rooms and hands-on exhibits that fascinate kids. Indoor trampoline gyms, rock climbing walls, zip lines, and ropes courses take activity to exhilarating levels.
And traditional amusement and water parks have rides that definitely get the blood pumping through twists, turns, climbs and drops (be sure to adhere to height and age restrictions). Rides in a row will quickly add up to a well-worn out kiddo. Then they’ll sleep like a baby that night!
Tired parents, the next time the kids need to burn off steam, turn to high-energy activities guaranteed to wear them out through sheer fun and physicality. A single afternoon can give you hours of peace and quiet – until tomorrow at least!
