Heart Healthy Exercise Game Printable

Marie from Make and Takes shares so many easy and fun ideas for kids.  Last year I saw her Heart Healthy Exercise Game and knew it would be fun for my daughter's 2nd grade Valentines party.


I wanted each kid to have their own game board.  My husband drew simple stick people for me because I don't draw, not even stick figures. I printed the game boards on card stock.

Just like Marie shows I cut out little felt hearts and hot glued them leaving a 3/4" opening.  I took felt and fun foam scraps for the kids to decorate their beanbag before filling it with beans or rice.  The beanbag activity was first and then the game was played in group rotations.  At the end of the party the kids had a fun game to take home! 

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Here is my redesigned Heart Healthy Exercise Game board.  If you would like to download it for free click the link below the image and it will take you to google docs.

Heart Healthy Exercise Game printable

Pin It

Kid Minute to Win It

Do you watch Minute to Win It on NBC?  The first week of school we were still holding tight to summer so one evening we had fun outside playing a couple Minute to Win It games!  We picked two of the simpler games and changed their blueprints a little.  My kids wanted to win a million bucks but they settled for a fruit roll-up and a later bedtime! 

•  some ping-pong ball games: Ping Tac Toe, Puddle Jumper, Blow Ball •

• pedometer games: Temper Tantrum, Nervous Nelly, Bobble Head •

I cut the top off an old sock for the pedometer to stay on the foot.  You can find pedometers at Dollar Tree.

• • More Minute to Win It games that would be fun for kids: A Bit Dicey, Baby Blockin', Breakfast Scramble, Caddy Stack, Cyclone, Floatacious, Keep It Up, Nose Dive, Pop Top • •

Hooray for Hopscotch!

I have fond memories of playing hopscotch in elementary school and loved having my own hopscotch marker.  Last year in my daughter's bunny basket there was chalk and a Hoppy Taw and she had no idea what it was for!  Now she regularly draws her own hopscotch and gets jumpin'-- I even join in the fun now and then!

Spring weather in Utah is unpredictable and crazy!  The time we spend outside is usually minimal so indoor activities to get some energy out are necessary!  That's why I really like this creative Hopscotch Play Mat by A Girl and a Glue Gun (guest post on The Idea Room). *image from A Girl and a Glue Gun

Playing outdoors requires drawing the pattern first but that's part of the fun!  Check out some great and different hopscotch pattern ideas and rules on Squidoo (scroll down a little to see the 6 pattern images) for making outdoor hopscotch just a little more exciting! *Dizzy Dragonfly Hopscotch image from Squidoo




*post contains an affiliate link

Make Classic Can Stilts

Classic tin can stilts have been around for a long time.  Make some with the kids on a summer afternoon! They're fun to decorate and even more fun to stomp around with outside!

A few tips:

• I wouldn't recommend using a small can like I did for my son's.  A 29.5 oz. can is perfect for smaller kids but a #10 can is even better, especially for bigger kids (like mom ☺) and for safety reasons.

• I opened the cans with a no sharp edges can opener.

• I had my husband drill holes and then I glued foam circles around them.(answering the comment)

• We decorated with paper, Mod Podge, and paint.  The paper had a slippery/messy time and patterned paper was easier to work with than card stock.

• For the handles I used vinyl rope from Dollar Tree and hot glued ends after knotting.

-Picture of my can stilt supplies on Flickr.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 * Family Fun's Can-do Stilts are decorated patriotic! (pictured above)

* Education.com's safety advice on their Coffee Can Stilts activity: "...have your child don protective gear and practice walking before hitting the open road." 

* You can buy some fun Monster Clompers from ALEX Toys.