Here’s another idea for making fitness fun for kids. It shouldn’t seem like a punishment or something they absolutely dread, but just part of life, like brushing your teeth or putting on your shoes. Something you just do because it helps to keep you healthy and strong. This activity switches things up a bit by using Uno Cards to help determine the activity and how many reps that will be done. You could also do this with a regular deck of cards and instead of colors use the card symbol to determine the activity.
Don’t forget to check out the benefits of fitness for kids!
Purpose of Activity:
To increase cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength.
Materials Needed:
– Deck of “UNO” cards -Colored signs (1 of each color in UNO deck) -Paper card with an exercise listed; ex: red=push ups, yellow=mountain climbers; blue=wide sumo squats, green=side jumps (or lateral jumps) or you can create your own exercises for each color.
wild card draw pile with cards with activities listed on them
Description of Idea
Each child is dealt or draws a UNO card. They are to perform an activity by the following criteria:
- Skip Card — skip one lap around the yard or down the street and back
- Reverse Card — jog/walk 1 lap around the yard or around the street or neighborhood
- Draw 2 Card — draw 2 cards from regular UNO cards deck and perform the activity which corresponds to the card color using the number of repetitions indicated by the number on the card
- Wild Draw 4 Card — draw 4 cards from the UNO deck and do all 4 activities
- Wild Card – Pick a color and do the activity for 10 repetitions
- Number Cards — the child does the number of repetitions indicated by the corresponding to the color. Example: A child draws a card that is 5 red. Go to the red sign with the exercise listed and do 5 push-ups or whatever that sign has listed.
After completing an activity the student puts the card back in the completed pile and the student is dealt another card. Continue this for a set amount of time or each child has completed a certain number of cards.
Here is an updated version of the activity that allows you to do this at home.
Variations:
Other types of activities could be included such as jumping rope, bench steps, or frog leaps to get away from traditional exercises.
Try the activity as a group challenge. Can your group do X amount of the activity in a given amount of time? How many cards were you able to complete?
