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Top 12 Warm Up Games and Exercises for Kids

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Kids need at least 60 minutes of physical activity to stay both mentally and physically healthy and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Still, some kids might struggle getting used to the concept of exercising. To prevent this situation and keep kids moving, you might need some fun and creative warm up exercises for kids.

You are in luck because through this blog you will learn about the best warm up exercises for kids and discover the most entertaining warm up games to spark your kid's interest in exercising and help them get ready to work out. Here we go!

The Importance of Warm Up Exercises For Kids

Warm up activities help kids get prepared for exercising by increasing their heart rate and body circulation gradually. Also, as warm-up exercises increase blood flow to the muscles, they protect kids' muscles and joints from injury.

In addition to all those physical benefits, easy and fun warm up exercises for kids can be helpful to encourage kids to exercise more and keep them physically active. Thus, warm up exercises should be considered an important part of kids' daily activities for how to get fit for kids.

7 Best Warm Up Exercises for Kids

Now that you know why warm up activities or exercises are crucial for your kid, we can move on to the best warm up exercises for kids. These warm up activities and exercises will help your kids relax their muscles, calm their nerves, and increase their heart rate to rock the exercise session. Get ready to learn all the hows and whys of the best warm up exercises for kids!

1. MentalUP

MentalUP is one of the most trustable resources that offers kids a safe learning environment where they can practice both their cognitive and physical skills with fun exercises for kids.

While MentalUP’s 150+ brain games and activities support your kid’s essential cognitive skills, like problem-solving, attention, and creativity, MentalUP’s 240+ fitness games enhance skills with warm-up, balance, strength, flexibility and cardio exercises for kids.

Here is how you can spark your kid’s interest in physical activity and provide them with the most beneficial warm up exercises that blend mental and physical practices: 🤸

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2. Opposite Toe Touch

Opposite toe touch is one of the most simple warm up exercises for kids. This activity that includes effective strength exercises for kids is excellent for warming up kids' core and upper body parts and supporting their balance skills.

Here is how to do it:
  • Stand up with your feet a little wider than your shoulders and stretch out in a T formation.
  • Bend at the waist to touch the left toe with your right fingers.
  • Look up to the ceiling and point up with your left arm.
  • Return to the T position and repeat the exercise for both sides in 10 cycles.

3. Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are one of the most entertaining warm up stretching and balance exercises for kids. It is excellent for increasing their heart rate and warming up all their body parts at the same time.

Here is how to do it:
  • Stand with your feet together, bend your knees slightly, and put your arms at your sides.
  • Jump while raising your arms and bringing your legs out to the side.
  • Raise your arms over your head while jumping.
  • Repeat the jumping jacks 20 times.

4. Walking Lunges

This physical activity is one of the most basic warm up and cool down exercises for kids. It boosts their range of motion by increasing flexibility and loosens the muscles in the hips and hamstrings.

Here is how to do it:
  • Stand up with good posture and keep your feet hip to shoulder width apart while resting your arms at your sides.
  • Lunge until your front thigh is parallel to the ground and put your both knees at 90 degrees and make sure that the front knee doesn't go past the toes.
  • Bring the back leg up and step forward.
  • Repeat the moves from step 2 by alternating the legs.
  • Repeat the lunges 10 times, and then turn around and repeat it 10 more times from the beginning.

5. Squats

Squats are one of the most beneficial warm up stretching exercises for kids. When it is done properly, it warms up and strengthens all the muscles in the hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and even core.

Here is how to do it:
  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms out straight with palms facing down.
  • Bend the knees, push your hips out, and bend down as if sitting on a chair.
  • Keep heels on the ground for the entire move and make sure that the knees don’t go past the toes and your torso stays upright.
  • Lower down until the thighs are parallel to the ground.
  • Return to a standing position slowly while trying to squeeze the hips and put your arms at your side.
  • Repeat it 15 times before any kind of exercise.

6.Flap Your Wings

This warm up activity might be your kid's favorite as it is one of the most fun warm up and cool down exercises for kids. Even though it is a simple exercise, it is a full-body workout that includes both cardio and balance.

Here is how to do it:
  • Stand up tall and open your arms out to the side.
  • Flap your arms like a bird for 20 seconds.
  • Start jogging for 20 seconds while keeping your arms flapping.
  • Repeat flapping and jogging until you feel that your body parts are warmed up.

7. Frog Jumps

If you are looking for fun and creative warm up activities for kids, frog jumps might be the one. This warm up exercise is not only good for relaxing kids' muscles and warming their bodies up, but it is also good for supporting their balance and strengthening their lower body parts.

Here is how to do it:
  • Sit in a frog pose by bending your knees close to the ground and keeping your arms out.
  • Keep your hips close to the ground and jump like a frog by putting strength in your legs.
  • Touch the ground and reach up during each frog jump.
  • Repeat it 10 times.

5 Best Warm Up Games for Kids

Letting kids spend time with a gamified exercise or a fun warm up game is great for motivating kids toward sports, helping them socialize with their peers, and supporting their mental and physical development.

Let’s dive into the best warm up games for kids!

1. MentalUP

MentalUP includes 240+ age-appropriate physical education and warm up games to support kids' physical, social, and psychological development!

MentalUP gymnastics games and workouts for kids support their physical performance by improving their strength, endurance, and balance skills. The best news is, kids love exercising with MentalUP and follow their daily programs happily!

What makes MentalUP that special? 🎁

Besides 150+ learning games to boost kids’ cognitive skills, MentalUP is the one and only app that offers fitness routines according to kids’ performance. 🚀✨

Thanks to academicians and specialists who have developed the award-winning app, kids can boost their mental and physical skills anytime & anywhere. 🧠👟

Take a step to get your kids to adopt a good habit, and download MentalUP! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

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2. Mirroring Game

Mirroring is a great game for supporting kids' physical coordination and gross motor skills as well as helping them warm up for other activities. Plus, for this fun warm up game, all you need is a vast play area!

Here is how to play the game:
  • Divide kids into pairs and make them stand across from each other.
  • One player can make a movement and the other has to mirror them as well as possible.
  • Swap the pairs after a certain amount of time and repeat the game until kids warm up and get ready to work out.

3. Bumper Car Game with Hula Hoop

Bumper car hula hoop is a fun warm up game for enhancing kids’ cooperation, spatial awareness, locomotion, and teamwork skills. Also, this hula hoop game teaches kids about directions. All the equipment you need for this game is one colorful hula hoop per person.

Here is how to start the game:
  • Give each kid a hula-hoop and explain to them that the hula-hoop is their personal space and a bumper car.
  • Set the rules for not touching any other kid’s car.
  • Give kids some instructions like, “sit down,” “stand up,” or “walk to the left.”
  • Keep playing until kids feel warmed up.

4. Red Light, Green Light Game

Red light, green light is one of the most fun and basic warm up games for kids. The game is good for overall gross motor development and speed, running, body control, and balance skills. It also doesn't require any equipment.

Here is how to play the red light, green light game:
  • To start the game, have kids stay at the starting line next to each other in a large, open play area.
  • Explain to kids to move towards the finish line when you say “green light” and stop when you say “red light.”
  • If kids still keep moving at the red light, ask them to go back to the starting line.
  • Start a new round when all the kids arrive at the finish line.

5. Giants, Dwarfs and Wizards Game

This fun warm up game is an extended version of the good old rock paper scissors game. It is a great game for enhancing their movement, social, and communication skills. Also, all you need to play this game is some imagination.

Here is how to play this new version of the rock paper scissors game:
  • Divide kids into two teams and define a play area with two end safety zones and a middle line.
  • Let each team decide their move (as giants, dwarfs and wizards) and approach the middle line.
  • Wizards beat the dwarves by casting a spell on them, giants beat the wizards by crushing them and dwarves beat the giants by tickling their feet
  • On the count of three, teams perform their move.
  • The winning team tries to tag the losing team before they make their way to the safety zone.
  • Keep playing until all kids are tagged and have joined the opposing team.

Benefits of Warm Up Exercises for Kids

It is clear that the benefits of fun warm up exercises are not limited to helping kids get prepared for other activities and spend their energy.

Here are all the benefits of warm-up exercises for kids:
  • Help the body distribute oxygen to the training muscle groups
  • Reduce the risk of muscle and tendon injuries by raising the body temperature
  • Increase blood flow and body circulation
  • Expand body core and prepare the cardiovascular system for more intense physical activities
  • Improve kids’ social, personal, and cooperation skills
  • Enhance coordination and balance
  • Help kids sleep easier
  • Support the development of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons

Why Should Kids Warm-Up Exercises Before Sports?

One thing is clear: your kids need at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily to stay healthy and accelerate their both mental and physical development. The benefits of exercising are countless, from preventing obesity to helping kids sleep easier. There are a lot of facts that show why your kid needs to exercise regularly.

Yet turning exercising into a habit might be a struggle if your kids are not happy with challenging their bodies and mind. Therefore, warm up exercises and games turn this challenge into a fun experience. We are sure that by practicing the warm up exercises and games we’ve shared, your kid will love moving around!

Here is the most entertaining way to make kids love exercising: MentalUP! 🥳✨

These beneficial workouts of MentalUP offer so much fun! That’s why kids love these warm up games and exercises as future’s successful athletes. 🤩

As we all know, healthy life is only possible with movement. Download MentalUP, choose your kid’s coach, and dress him/her as a part of the fitness game journey. 💪

Then start working out with the special daily programs for your kids! 🙌

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Last Update Date: 19 October 2022
Lauran Cole
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