Physical activity for children
Staying active is essential for your health, especially if you have kidney disease. Regular exercise can boost your energy, strengthen muscles, and support better kidney function. We've put together some easy and fun activities you can do at home to stay active while managing your condition. Always check with your doctor before starting new exercises to ensure they’re safe for you.
Indoor activities and games
Pretend!
Choose an exciting role for the day - whether it's your favorite animal, a superhero with amazing powers, an astronaut exploring space, or a daring pilot flying high in the sky. Once you've decided, team up with your parents or guardian to create a fun costume. Use things you already have at home - like cardboard for a superhero shield, tinfoil for an astronaut helmet, or face paint to become your favorite animal. Let your creativity shine and have fun acting out your new role. What adventures will you go on in your amazing costume?
Keep dancing!
Turn up the music and let your body groove to the beat! Dancing is a great way to have fun and get moving.
Here’s a cool challenge: try spelling out the letters of your name with your body! Stretch your arms, bend your legs, and twist your torso to shape each letter. For example, you can make an "A" by raising your arms above your head and forming a triangle. Be creative—there’s no wrong way to do it!
Once you’ve mastered your name, try spelling out other words or challenge a friend to join in. It’s a fun way to combine movement and creativity!
Obstacle course
Transform your space into a playground of fun by creating your own obstacle course or hopscotch board!
First, ask your parents or guardian for permission and check that the area is safe and free of anything that could cause trips or falls. For a hopscotch board, grab some chalk if you're outside or use tape indoors to make the squares. Number them and get hopping!
For an obstacle course, use everyday items like cushions, chairs, or even pool noodles to set up challenges. Crawl under a table, hop over a line, balance on a pillow, or weave through a line of cones (or plastic cups). Add a timer to race against the clock or challenge a friend to see who finishes first.
Vacuum races
Make vacuuming a fun competition with your sibling! Decide on a specific area to clean, like the living room or a hallway, and agree on how much vacuuming each of you will do. Use a timer to see how quickly each person can finish their section while still doing a thorough job.
Take turns or divide the space equally, and don't forget to cheer each other on! Not only will you have a blast racing against the clock, but you'll also get the cleaning done faster together. Remember, safety first—make sure to move carefully and keep cords out of the way. Happy vacuum racing!
Speedy toy tidy up
Cleaning up doesn’t have to feel like a chore—it can be a fun challenge! If there’s a big mess of toys, grab a timer and set it for 10 minutes. Then, race against the clock to see how much you can pick up before the timer buzzes.
Start with the biggest items or focus on one area, like the floor or a toy bin. You might be amazed at how much progress you can make in just a short time! If you finish early, reward yourself with a quick break or play a favorite game. Turning cleanup into a race makes it quick and fun!
Task races
You and your sibling could each pick a different task that takes about the same amount of time. See who can get their task finished first. Rewards can be things like getting to pick the family movie that night, getting to choose what you have for dinner or the first chance to use a shared toy (like a video game console).
Having fun in your garden
Getting fresh air and being active is important. Here are a few ideas you may wish to try in your own garden:
Sow some seeds
Whether you have a garden, patio or just a small window space, anyone can try planting seeds. It is a great way to try growing your own food such as carrots, lettuce and onions.
You could also try sowing fast growing plants from seed such as sunflowers. You could have a competition to see which member of the family grows the tallest sunflower.
Making a teddy bear football team
You and one family member could each pick 5 teddy bears. These will be your football team:
1. Put two socks into opposite corners of the garden – these will be the goal posts. This will need to be done at each end of the garden so you and your family member each have a goal. The garden is now your teddies football pitch.
2. Place your five teddy bears in different places on the football pitch - your teddies are your football players. Make sure you put one of your teddy bears in goal as the goalkeeper.
3. Crumple up a piece of paper into a ball – this is your teddy bears football.
4. Using your finger, flick the paper ball between the teddy bears and see who is the first to score a goal!!
Set up an obstacle course
You can set up an obstacle course using everyday objects such as making jumps from buckets and yard brushes.
Bark and leaf tracing
With a piece of paper and crayon, trace the bark of a tree (if you have one in your garden). You could also try tracing leaves and looking at the different shapes and patterns that you see through the tracing.
Spot wildlife
All gardens will have a hive of wildlife activity in them. See how many different types of birds you can spot. You could even make and put up a bird house and see if you have any visitors to it. For smaller creatures, lift up stones and pots and see what creepy crawlies lie underneath them.
Remember to check with your medical team before trying any new sport or exercise.
