Play Resources

Ideas to help keep kids active at home

Jumpstart Play Resources

Below, you will find a collection of activity ideas and guided videos to help get kids moving. For more, check out the Play From Home page!

Outdoor Activity Guide

July 14, 2022

Penguin Waddle. A young girl, smiling, lays prone on the floor with a balloon in her hand and multiple balloons scattered around her.

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Penguin Waddle

June 25, 2021

Penguin Waddle. A young girl, smiling, lays prone on the floor with a balloon in her hand and multiple balloons scattered around her.

Instructions: 1, place a balloon between your knees. 2, see how far you can walk (or waddle) without dropping the balloon. 3, to make it more challenging, set up a few obstacles to waddle around. 4, if you're playing with a family member, put the balloon between each other's hips and try the challenge together! Tip: don't have a balloon? Use a ball or pillow instead!

Balloon Keep-Ups

June 9, 2021

Balloon Keep-Ups. A child tosses a balloon into the air.

Instructions: 1, blow up a balloon and throw it in the air. 2, using your hands, or other parts of your body, hit the balloon to keep it in the air and avoid letting the balloon touch the ground. 3, use a timer to count how long you can keep the balloon in the air for, and then try again to beat your score! To make it more challenging, try keeping more than one balloon up in the air, or tie one hand behind your back! Tip: don't have a balloon? Use a rolled-up pair of socks instead!

Ping Pong Catch

April 9, 2021

Ping Pong Catch. A young girl tosses a ping pong ball into the air.

For this game, you'll need plastic cups and a few ping pong balls (or any small object that will fit in the cup). Instructions: Toss the ball to a partner and try to catch it in the cup. Start out close together and then keep taking a step backwards to increase the challenge. For a single-player, simply throw the ball in the air and try to catch it in the cup. See how many times you can catch it in a row without letting it drop.

Adapted Basketball

March 27, 2021

Adapted Basketball. A young boy holds up a basketball.

Instructions: grab some laundry baskets or buckets and place them on the floor. Use tape, sticky notes, or another object to mark your free-throw lines at various distances. Using bean bags or a makeshift ball (e.g. a wad of newspaper, soft toys, or rolled-up socks), see how many shots you can make from each line. Or set a timer for one minute and challenge yourself to make as many baskets as you can!

Mirror, Mirror

March 17, 2021

Let's Play Mirror, Mirror! A dad and his daughter stand facing each other in a living room, mirroring each other's stance. They are standing on one foot with one arm in front of them and the other reaching behind.

This is a two-person activity so pick your opponent! It could be your sibling or someone else in your household. Instructions: Stand face-to-face with your opponent, about a foot apart, and have them attempt to copy all your movements. Reach up and stretch to the sky. Do 10 push-ups. Do some lunges. Act like a monkey. Make it fun and you'll both be working up a sweat in no time. Then switch roles and have the other person lead the movements - they won't be able to hold back the laughter (and neither will you!)

Balloon Foot Balance

March 5, 2021

Balloon Foot Balance. A girl lays on the floor giving her dog a kiss. A cartoon balloon is on the floor in the background.

Instructions: Lie on the ground with your legs up in the air and try to balance a balloon on your feet. It's not an easy task and requires a lot of concentration. It's also a great core workout! Every time the balloon falls off, do 10 crunches.

Freeze Dance

February 15, 2021

Groove with some Freeze Dance! A young girl dances in a living room.

Instructions: Pick your favourite song. When the music starts, dance it out! When the music stops, it's time to freeze! Didn't freeze instantly? It's time to show off your ten best jumping jacks!

Indoor Family Fun Workout

January 25, 2021

Indoor Family Fun Workout: everything gets better when you get active. A family of four, two parents and two young children, dance with the young girl jumping in the air.

The Ultimate Active Snow Day

January 16, 2021

Additional Activity Ideas

Bingo (PDF)Chalk Your Walk (PDF)Hopscotch (PDF)Jumpstart Says (PDF)

Movement Monday (PDF)Neighbourhood Hunt (PDF)Red Light, Green Light (PDF)Scavenger Hunt (PDF)

Target Practice (PDF)Test Your Balance (PDF)Window Walk (PDF)

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