Fun Freetime: Workout Games to Play with Your Kids

It’s tough to be a parent and find time to go to the gym.  I have invented 3 fun workout games that will not only get you a blood pumping good cardio and strength workout, but is also fun for your children too.  If you can turn working out into a fun competition you will be surprised at how intense and fun they can really be. Here are three fun workouts you can do anywhere while including your whole family.

War

Get a deck of Strength Stack 52 exercise playing cards. Grab one of your kids, (or two, even three) and deal all the cards in the deck equally to each player. Once all the cards are dealt, each player throws one card in the center of all the players, the person who threw the highest card wins that round and doesn’t have to do the exercises on the cards.  Every other player must do all the exercises on each card thrown. Proceed through the whole deck….if you can make it.

Circuit Draining

Grab a pair of dice and assign 6 areas in your house or yard, each with their own stations:

Station 1: 10 burpees

Station 2: 10 push ups

Station 3: 20 sit ups

Station 4: 20 squats

Station 5: 30 second planks

Station 6: 35 jumping jacks

You can play this game by yourself or with your family. Have your children roll both dice at the same time.  Whatever the results of the roll was, complete the exercises at that station. Each dice equals one station, so if you rolled a 4 and a 6, you will be completing a full set at Station 4 and Station 6. If you are playing with multiple people, you can each take turns rolling the dice. The roller can even call one number before the roll and if that number appears, they are exempt from doing that station. Play for 20 minutes; this is a game that will drain your entire body!

Flick Em

This game can be played with either the Strength Stack or a regular deck of cards. The goal is to get the most points. Each player has one bowl about 6 feet in front of them.

Shuffle the cards and deal the deck evenly among the players. Turn your cards face up.  Now try and flick the cards in the bowl.  After your cards are all thrown, count your points. If you are playing by yourself, try and beat your personal record.  You may choose to do the exercises you missed, or do the exercises you threw in the bowl. The exercise you choose is up to you. So if you threw 28 points into the bowl, you can choose to do 28 push-up, sit-ups or burpees. This game gives you a proper break (while throwing the cards) between each exercise set.

This article was authored by Sergeant Michael Volkin, inventor of Strength Stack 52 fitness cards.

Michael Volkin is a U.S. Army veteran, author, and entrepreneur. He served as a sergeant in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom as a Chemical Operations Specialist where he received an Army Commendation Medal. He has a Master’s degree in Science and has authored four books in three genres. His best-selling book, The Ultimate Basic Training Guidebook, prepares recruits for military basic training.  He is also the inventor of Strength Stack 52, bodyweight fitness cards designed for military personnel.