30 Exercise Games and Indoor Activities to Get Kids Moving

Try a little freeze dancing, robot style! Photo courtesy of Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels

Whether it's rainy, snowy, or simply too cold or hot to hit the park or backyard, exercise games and indoor activities that keep kids moving are a great way to get everyone in the family moving, giggling, and away from the screens for a bit.

We've put together a list of 30 easy indoor exercise games and fun exercises for kids at home. It's a really simple way for a family to integrate movement and exercise into any day. Most of these can be done right in your living room and will even work in tight city apartments (or hallways). We promise that everyone will be tired and laughing after attempting just a handful.

Looking for more indoor activities for kids? We have lots of ideas, including science experiments and sensory activities for all ages.

Keystone Wants To Be Colorado’s Best Family Ski Resort

Keystone offers amenities, perks, and free skiing for kids! Photo courtesy of Keystone

Many ski mountains want to attract families, but Keystone Resort in Colorado is raising the bar for family ski resorts with more amenities, perks, and free skiing for kids.

One of the closest ski towns to Denver airport, Keystone does all it can to make itself a fun and family-friendly destination. On top of conveniences like ski-in/ski-out condo accommodations and wagons for hauling all that gear, Keystone has a full lineup of children's programming to keep kids entertained on and off the mountain, plus special perks like an express family gondola line and free family parking. And, perhaps best of all, kids 12 and under ski free.

About 75 miles west of Denver and a roughly two-hour drive, I visited Keystone Resort to check it out. Here are the top things that make Keystone one of the most family-friendly Colorado ski resorts. For more kid-friendly ski resorts, check out our Skiing, Snowboarding, & Snow Sports Guide for families.

Westgate Resorts Orlando: Budget Hotels Near Disney World with Kitchens and Water Park

Treasure Cove water park offers a full day of fun for kids right on site.

When planning a trip to Orlando theme parks, staying at one of the off-site hotels near Disney World or Universal can be a big money saver—especially if you also want to do things in Orlando other than the theme parks. Westgate Resorts Orlando offers two properties near Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa is closer to SeaWorld and Universal Studios, while Westgate Vacation Villas is slightly closer to Disney World, but both of them offer large family-sized rooms with kitchenettes, on-site water parks and activities, and budget-friendly prices.

We recently stayed at one of the Westgate Resorts Orlando budget properties, Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa, to see how it stacked up for an Orlando family vacation. Here is the inside scoop.

School Closings: How to Know if it's a Snow Day in New York City

Snow days are the stuff of childhood magic during the winter. Photo by Anita Gregorio Marsault

How do you find out if your kid's New York City school is closed because of snow? In short, snow days are unlikely for public school students during the 2021-22 school year. The mayor made waves by announcing there will be no snow days this school year at all, instead public schools are expected to host remote lessons on stormy days. Still, you'll want to know if you need to bundle up and head to a school building, or hunker down and sign on.

If you've got children in the city's private schools and nursery schools, they tend to close more often.

Here are the best resources for finding out if New York City schools are closing for a snow day, as well as ideas for what to do in the event of snowmageddon, like NYC's Top Sledding Hills and snow day boredom busters to do indoors.

Insider’s Guide to Sitka, Alaska: Free and Fun Things to Do in Sitka with Kids

See the view of the bay from the local Sitka library.

Whether you’re doing an Alaska cruise or individual travel, costs can really add up on a family vacation, especially when traveling in Alaska. Luckily, if you know the area, there are actually plenty of fun and free things to do in Sitka and other SE Alaska cities, as well as affordable eats. 

My grandparents moved to Alaska when I was a tot, so even though I’m not a local, I’ve been visiting Haines and Juneau my whole life. It wasn't until I started bringing my own kids that we started exploring Alaska’s tourist attractions and also traveling as a family to other Alaska destinations. This summer we decided to visit Sitka.

Best Beaches Near NYC: A Guide for Families

Kid-friendly—and foodie-friendly—Jacob Riis Beach is a quick trip from the city. Photo by Sara Marentette

Summertime means beach time, and while there are lots of beaches near and even in NYC, some are more family-friendly than others. After packing up your gear and schlepping the kids by car, train, bus, or ferry, the last thing you want to find out is your chosen beach has no bathroom, or bathing suits are optional. Skip the guesswork with our roundup of eight easy-to-reach beaches for NYC families, including detailed info on attractions, food, bathrooms, and hidden costs. Most are within 2 hours of Manhattan by car and are easily accessible via public transportation as well, so you can plot a great daycation for your family.

Find more beach fun in our Beaches, Pools, and Water Playgrounds Guide, or check out these summer day trip ideas.

Visiting the Poconos with Kids: 70 Top Things To Do as a Family

Canoe or swim in the many lakes and rivers in the Poconos. Photo courtesy of Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau

Just two hours from New York City or Philadelphia, the Pocono Mountains offer pristine natural beauty mixed with enough family-friendly activities to fill a long weekend getaway or an entire summer vacation. Truly a four-season resort area, during the winter people flock to the Poconos for skiing and other winter sports, and the cool lake-dotted mountains draw families for swimming, hiking, boating, horseback riding, and more in the summer. It's also loaded with great water park resorts, both indoor and outdoor, and lovely cabin rentals, many of them either lakeside or mountainside.

Family Travel Bucket List : Visiting California's Channel Islands

No kayaking experience required to visit the sea caves and see the sea lions. Photo by Ralph A. Clevenger/ Santa Barbara Adventure Company

Despite its location so close to Los Angeles, Channel Islands National Park is one of the least visited national parks in the country. Accessible only by boat, the Channel Islands’ isolation makes them something of a well-kept Southern California secret, where visitors can enjoy a uniquely SoCal ecosystem on an unpopulated island. Make the trip at the right time of year, and you could even spot some whales along the way.

The islands are welcoming visitors again this spring, and boats are making trips to the islands several times a day. For intrepid campers, the campgrounds are also open. Read on to find out why a trip to the Channel Islands should be on every family's travel bucket list.

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