Every year, I think about getting my nieces and cousins something “nutrition-related” for their birthdays or Christmas. This year, I decided to let you in on my searches and give you a list of what I’ve found. Part One is about physical activity, part Two will be about nutrition.

NOTE: some of my links pertain to a specific age group, but there are other toys in that category that may fit a different age. Also, most of my links come from Target or Amazon, but I’m not promoting these stores over any other store.

Games:

If your child is into video games or games in general, the following might be of interest to them:

• Dance Dance Revolution–a great way for your kid to be active and have fun at the same time
• High School Musical 2 Twister DVD game–moving to twister and singing at the same time–what can be more fun?
• Twister Dance DVD game–a great way to dance, seems like another brand of “Dance Dance Revolution”
• Super Skipper for Preschoolers–this one looks like a great way for kids to get rid of some energy!

Classic Gifts:

Many kids will probably like one of the following gifts:

• Any sports ball: basketball, soccer ball, baseball, wiffleball, volleyball
• Jump rope–my favorite!! or Double Dutch Jump Ropes
• Hula hoop–another favorite of mine!
• Stilts (something that many of us don’t consider as physical activity)

Things to ride:

• Play cars that you have to push yourself
• Bicycles and tricycles (don’t forget the safety gear!)
• Scooters
• Push-around buggy (this one would be good for the parents to get exercise pushing the kid around!)
• An Eggplant rocker–this is my favorite!!!

Books about fitness:

• For young kids, Fitness4Kidz has a couple of books that might be of interest.
• The Busy Body Book: A Kid’s Guide to Fitness–a great book for kids about our bodies
• Physical Fitness (My Health Series)
• Any sports-related magazine for kids (for example, Sports Illustrated for Kids)

I hope that your shopping excursions are fun and stress-free this holiday season!