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Children´s Yoga Teacher Trainig
https://www.theyogakids.com/yoga-training/
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“But Mom, it’s too cold outside!”
If any month signals the grand entrance of winter in Ontario, it’s November. There’s no denying the chill any more. Fleeces, woolens, and footed PJs are out in regular rotation now, along with sniffling noses, dry coughs, and dry skin.
Many Toronto-area homes also see an increased use of televisions and computers this time of year. Electronic distractions simply have become the easier default when layering clothes and finding that other mitten seem like too much of a bother.
But even when it’s cold outside, bodies young, old, and in-between all still need regular exercise to stay healthy. And just as important, our minds and those of our children need both peace and stimulation during the dark winter months ahead.
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Children´s Yoga Teacher Trainig
https://www.theyogakids.com/yoga-training/
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So how can you and your children stay active through the winter? Here are some great ideas when it’s just too cold, or time is too short, for going outdoors:
Cooking
Find an easy recipe for seasonal foods (hot cocoa, pumpkin pie, any kind of pasta) and whip up a culinary masterpiece with your kids! The key to successful cooking with children is to expect the mess and enjoy the fun. Give yourself enough time, let the kids do the measuring and mixing, and don’t worry about spills.
Sculpting with modeling clay, play dough or silly putty
Nothing like some good old-fashioned kitchen-table sculpting with your kids. You can make the dough yourself or use store-bought, but the main thing is sit down and do it with your kids, and to let their creativity flow. If they need ideas (and they usually don’t), give broad categories so that they can use their noggins to come up with their own. Or let them copy what you’re doing – it doesn’t matter.
Indoor Obstacle Course
This is a child favourite no matter the season. Clear floors as best you can in one or two large rooms. Draw arrows on small sheets of paper to show your kids where to go next. Include chairs to crawl under, boxes to crawl through, a jump rope with instructions to jump 5 times, an instruction to walk like a gorilla (or any other animal you or they like), an ottoman to leapfrog over, etc. You get the idea!
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Children´s Yoga Teacher Trainig
https://www.theyogakids.com/yoga-training/
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Indoor Treasure Hunt
The great thing about treasure hunts is that it’s the hunt that kids love; what the treasure is usually doesn’t matter! Hide one prize for each child all in one spot. Then write a cryptic (or easy, depending on ages) clue on a piece of paper describing the treasure location, and put it anywhere in your house. Now write a clue to that location and repeat until you have 10 or more clues for the kids to follow around the house. It’s roaring fun. The first clue they find (the last clue you write) can be located at your home’s entrance for a wonderful surprise when they come home from school.
Window painting
Two words: Washable paint. Two more words: Have fun!
Some more ideas:
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- Have your child write a story and then help him act it out, or use a story he already loves to act out
- Practice yoga poses and create your own poses
- Play chess or checkers
- Make holiday cards with glitter, felt, stencils, etc. to get into the holiday spirit
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By now you can see how easy it is to have fun with your child and get some exercise inside your warm and cozy home. It’s hard to get motivated when the couch, a good movie and a fire beckon. But by all means, get outdoors with your kids whenever you can, even if you’ve only got 30 minutes – and the inclination to brave the elements, of course!
Let’s face it: Winter’s just not winter if you don’t get a bright red nose sledding, hiking, angel-making, snowman building, skating, snowboarding or skiing. In addition to these classics, here are a few road-less-travelled outdoor activities to try with your children this winter:
Build an igloo
You’ll need sticky snow conditions, a shovel, a few rectangular-shaped plastic storage containers, and some unbridled enthusiasm: Dig out a circular pit, including a passageway, using the dug-out snow for bricks. Fill in bricks with loose snow, leaving a few gaps for ventilation and working toward the middle as the layers are built. Your final brick for the top should be slightly bigger than the gap. Voila – igloo fun!
Snow shoeing
These days, you can find snow shoes for kids as young as two years old. As long as your child can walk, she can snow shoe, and she’ll love it because she can stay on top of the snow instead of falling through! This is great cardiovascular exercise too – you’ll all be warm before you even get inside!
Snow Angels
This actually comes under the Classic activity category, but it’s such a kid-pleaser that we had to make sure you saw it! All you need is a good snowsuit and some new fluffy snow. Use food coloring or to “paint” the wings, clothes and faces of your creations. Kids get such a big kick out of this it’ll be hard to get them back indoors.
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Children´s Yoga Teacher Trainig
https://www.theyogakids.com/yoga-training/
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Now get out there, DVR that movie, and watch it later on — guilt-free and as a family — with hot cups of cocoa to warm you back up!
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Children´s Yoga Teacher Trainig
https://www.theyogakids.com/yoga-training/
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