Our hope while here is you will find just a few simple ways to be active with your kids. As a ministry we focus on empowering young people to live God’s Word, share His Gospel, and serve His Church. As athletes and parents we understand the need for kids to stay active and get exercise. While the activities below are not exclusive, we want to give some basics to get kids moving and active in fun and focused ways. There are three main reasons for kids to remain at home.
Exercise helps physical growth - It is important that kids continue to be active and grow physically. It will also help their bodies to know when is a time to engage and a time to rest. Normally this is done by going to school or other routine. Staying active as a part of their routine will help their bodies to know when to engage and when to let go.
Exercise helps mental growth/stability - If you can do these activities outside, that is the best way to do so. God designed our minds and bodies in such a way that physical action and being outside help our mental state. When going through a stressful or anxious time, having physical exercise helps with mental growth and stability in all ages. This will also show your kids that no matter what the situation is, you are ready to play with them, which can be a large part of walking through stressful or anxious times as a family.
Exercise increases immune systems response - Physical exercise can increase the body’s ability to fight off germs that attack the body. Being inside and sedimentary can lead to a lowering of the immune response which can lead to catching of illnesses.
These are just three small reasons for the need to exercise. The materials provided on this page are specific to our organization. However, you can find more resources at the bottom, and you can always do basic things like go on a walk or bike ride together. Any movement is good movement! So, here are some resources which may help you stay active at home!
Sports Drills
Pickle
Equipment needed: A ball to toss between two people. This also requires three people.
How to set up: Set-up markers (i.e. poly spots, cones) 5 to 10 yards apart as bases. These are the bases a child is trying to get to.
How to play: Have two people start on the poly spots (probably adults or older kids). The runner will stand in the middle. When they yell go, they start running to one of the bases. The runner wants to get to one of the bases without getting tagged by a player. Each time they touch a base without getting tagged they score a run and the game resets.
Clean Up The Yard
Equipment needed: Many balls to throw. A way to split a space (i.e. tape, cones, rolled up towels)
How to set up: Separate a space into how many players you have and put the balls in the middle.
How to play: When you say go the players should run and try to get balls into the other person “yards”. After three minutes have them stop and count how many of each ball is in the yards. You can place different scores on different balls. Also making yards bigger for older kids and smaller for younger kids can keep the game a bit more even.
Trash Pick Up
Equipment needed: Some type of material (pinny or towel or clothes) that can be set in the middle of a grid. Maybe a basket for each player to put their objects in.
How to set up: Evenly space people away from the middle where you will then dump the equipment that needs to get picked up. When you say go each player runs to the middle and grabs a single item. They then go and drop off this item in their bucket. This continues until all the material in the middle is gone. Counting up the materials will give you a winner. For multiple ages move younger kids closer and older kids further away.
Body Part on the all (or other item)
Equipment needed: Soccer balls or other item you wish to use.
How to set up: Set up an area that players can move around in.
How to play: All the players move around within the area. If it is a soccer ball they can dribble around, or. If it is a bean bag they can toss it while they walk around. While they move, the caller will call out a body part (i.e. elbow, chin, knee, stomach) and the players will stop put that body part in contact with the ball on the ground. The caller will then command “move” and the players will move until another body part is called out. The caller can be rotated among different kids, but allows for kids to move up and down as well as moving around.
Storm the Castle
Equipment needed: Tall cones, something to knock down tall cones (i.e. bean bag, soccer ball, football)
How to set up: Set up the cones in a line for kids to knock down. Setting it up to look like a castle gets you bonus points. Creating a place to throw/kick/toss from that a kid has to come back to each time.
How to play: After setting up the cones you can tell an age appropriate story about why the castle needs to get knocked down (i.e. mean dragon, fortnite enemy). ready the coach says, “ready, aim, fire!”. The players will then storm the castle by knocking down the cones. After they throw, they go pick up their ammo and come back to their throwing point. If you have different age/skill level you can make one kids throw point farther away to make it a competition. Have them knock down all the cones and time them! Have them try to beat their time to keep it fun.
Protect the Meg
Equipment needed: A ball that rolls
How to set up: All the players will form a circle with their legs apart and feet touching each other’s.
How to play: When the players are circled, the “coach” will throw a ball into the group. The ball will be batted around by hand and if it goes through a player’s legs, then that player is eliminated. As players are eliminated the circle continues to get smaller. This can be played with all ages and is a great family game!
Clap Catch
Equipment needed: A ball that you can throw.
How to set up: All the play will form a circle around the tosser.
How to play: The thrower (in random order) starts tossing the ball to people in the circle. Before the ball gets to the player on the outside they need to clap once and catch the ball. If they don’t clap or don’t catch the ball they are out of the round. If the person in the middle fakes a pass and they clap, they also are out of the round.
Catch or Volley
Equipment needed: A ball you can throw.
How to set up: All the play will form a circle around the tosser.
How to play: The thrower (in random order) starts tossing the ball to people in the circle. As they release the ball the person in the middle either says catch or volley. The person on the outside then has to do the opposite of what was said. So if the person in the middle says volley, the ball has to be caught and held onto. If the person says catch they need to volley the ball by getting it back to the person quickly. This can be modified for different sports. Batting the ball down v. catching in football. Head v. catch for older kids in soccer. This is a lot of fun and can be changed per person to make it easier or harder.
Sidewinder
Equipment needed: Two cones or other markers
How to set up: Place the two markers ten feet apart. The player starts in the middle.
Set a timer for a minute. When you say go the player moves side to side between the two markers and touch them as much as they can. You can adjust the time based on age for success. This is a simple drill that will get the heart rate up and will challenge older kids.
Music Motions
Purchase additional music from our store. 2023’s Rock Solid download is available, along with other sports camp-themed music.
Jump Rope
Games
Tails
Equipment Needed: A space marked off; pinnies/shirts/plastic sacks for each child
How to set-up: You need room to move and hopefully, run! Give each player a hand towel or other slimmer piece of cloth and have them tuck it into the back of their shorts. It should look like a tail and stick out far enough to be grabbed.
How to play: Players try to grab each others tails. Once a tail is pulled, the puller sets the pinny on the ground and the tailless player kneels or sits on their tail. The players who are sitting can not move around but they can still grab towels from other players running by. Play continues until there is only one person with a tail! This can be done as a duel in a living room or among multiple kids outside on grass.
Statues
Equipment needed: None
How to set-up: Create a space to move around in and decide on a pose for kids to freeze into.
How to play: Kids move around quickly and freeze into a certain pose when seen by a Statue Keeper (parent) . They try to not move in front of the Statue Keepers. Statue Keepers walk around to spot when the “Statues” move. Campers either sit down or start over (depending on your variation of the game) when seen moving by the Statue Keepers. Two variations for winning: One is to be the last kid to sit down. The other is the kids work together to get a prize set-up by the statue keeper.
What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?
Equipment needed: None
How to set-up: Create a space for kids to run and a starting line. Line up campers at the starting point (a wall or cones) and a parent be “Mr. Fox”
How to play: As Mr. Fox you decide an action you want the kids to use (hopping, jumping, crawling, etc.). The kids ask in unison “What time is it Mr. Fox?” The response is with a time. Three o’clock would mean 3 actions. So, if you’re hopping it would be 3 hops forward. After each time they will get closer to “Mr. Fox”. Eventually, Mr. Fox gets hungry and instead of giving a time says, “IT’S DINNER TIME”. “Mr. Fox” will then chase the kids back to the starting point. Any kid that is tagged can either join Mr. Fox or become the next Mr. Fox.
Ships and Sailors (Shipwreck)
Equipment Needed: None
How to set-up: Create a space kids can “run” in.
How to play: One person says a single command at a time. First explain the commands and demonstrate. For younger players or a quicker game don’t use all of the commands. Commands:
Port or ships – Run to the right side of the space / Starboard or sailors– Run to the left side of the space / Captain’s Coming - Come to a complete stop and saute. Kids may not move on any command except, “At ease.” / At Ease – This command releases the kids from the “Captain’s Coming” position / Man Overboard – Kids pair up. One must be on hands and knees, and the other places their foot on the back of the one on the ground. / Three Men in a Boat – Kids must be in groups of three, sit in a row and sing, “Row, row, row your boat.” / Dinner Time – Kids sit in a square pretending to eat. / Hit the Deck – Kids must lay on the ground. / Hurricane – Parents chase kids. If they are caught, you decide. / Lighthouse – Pretend to be a lighthouse and spin in a slow circle. / Tea Party of # - You may say any number. The kids sit in a circle and pretend to sip on tea. / Swab the Deck – Act like mopping.
Freeze Dance
Play music from artists such as Go Fish, Yancy, Uncle Charlie. Have the child keep dancing until the music stops. When you stop the music the kids must freeze. Have them do different kinds of dance (i.e., ballet, rock, hip hop) to make it fun and mix it up.