The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends kids get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, and hula hoops can be a fun part of meeting that requirement. Playing with a hoop also burns calories, strengthens muscles, and improves coordination at any age. Try these hula hooping activities to get started. Once you’ve got the hang of it, encourage each other to try something fancier: Shift the hoop up and down your neck, or get a pair of hoops and see if you can whirl one on each arm at the same time. Once they get the hang of hoop rolling, draw a line with chalk and challenge them to trace the path with the hoop. For an added challenge, put up obstacles (such as small traffic cones, plastic bowling pins, or even lawn chairs) or devise a clever maze for them to navigate. With a little more planning and a safety-first mindset, you can even play a human version of ring toss. Have one kid put on a bike helmet and stand still inside a hoop base. The other players can then take turns trying to toss a hula hoop over the human target from a predetermined spot. Each kid can have a turn donning the helmet. Make the game more challenging by increasing the distance of the starting point for the toss with each round. Stand with the hoop vertically in front of your body, then flip it down toward your feet. Next, jump over it, bringing it back behind you, then over your head and back to where you started. To avoid skinned knees, have your kid try this on soft ground first in case they stumble. You can also play this using a competition bracket. Have kids go head-to-head, with the winners of each round competing against each other until a final hula hoop marathon champion is crowned. You can vary the game by requiring different skills each round, such as moving the hoop up and down the body. Next, divide your group into two even teams and give each one a hula hoop. Have someone do a practice run of the course so that everyone knows what to do. The relay race begins when the first players on each team begin running the course. They will go up and back before passing the hoop to their next teammate. The first team to have each member successfully complete the course wins.
