How to create the ultimate home gym—for your kid
School-aged kids should be getting at least an hour of exercise each day, which can feel impossible to achieve in lockdown. This gear will help them get moving.
Photo: Cushy Couch/Facebook
When the pandemic first hit, free weights, tension bands and Peloton bikes quickly became hot commodities—and for good reason. It didn't take a team of experts to prove that keeping active (especially when you're in lockdown) is not only good for your body, but also your mental health. Over the summer, the focus turned to kids with trampolines, bikes and other outdoor gear being cleared off store shelves. But with the long Canadian winter stretching out before parents, it's getting harder to get the kids to go outdoors to be active.
Here, we've rounded up some of our favourite active toys—in a range of different price points—for getting your little one's blood pumping indoors.
$25 and under
Frozen II Bop Bag
$11, toysrus.ca
Goofy Foot Light-Up Hoop
$11, canadiantire.ca
Paw Patrol Hopper
$17, toysrus.ca
Busa Play tunnel
$20, ikea.com
Lustigt tag game with vest and balls
$25, ikea.com
$50 and under
Fantasy Hoppers Inflatable Bouncing Unicorn Pink
$38, well.ca
Printed-design Cotton Rug
$30, hm.com
Plufsig Folding gym mat
$50, ikea.com
VTech Count & Win Sports Center
$50, toysrus.ca
$100 and under
Playskool Sit ‘n Spin Classic Spinning Activity Toy
$56, amazon.ca
Little Tikes Pogo-It
$60,canadiantire.ca
Wooden disc swing
$65, simons.ca
Hockey sticks (set of 2)
$68, simons.ca
$100 or more
Little Tikes - Easy Store 3 ft Trampoline
$100, toysrus.ca
KidBoard Balance Board Classic
$125, hsktkids.ca
Deluxe indoor playground
$200, gym1.net
Pikler Triangle
From $245, themontessoriroom.com
Little Tikes Splash 'n Spray Bouncer indoor/outdoor
$380, indigo.ca
Cushy Couch
$399, cushycouch.ca
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Simone Olivero is a Toronto-based writer and editor specializing in lifestyle editorial including travel, home décor, beauty and food. Her work has also been published in print and online publications like Toronto Life, Chatelaine, The Toronto Star, CBC Travel, Yahoo! Canada and more. She was previously a senior editor at Today’s Parent and is currently the managing editor at House & Home.