Staying active at home

Eating well and keeping active supports our physical and mental health.


Follow our tips for making new healthy habits in your home.

Home activity ideas for adults

Learn what you can do to stay active and healthy indoors or in your backyard.


Photo of mother and children in yard playing with a ball with dad  

  • Try one of our easy home exercises – suitable for all fitness levels.
  • Explore workout apps and videos online.
  • Do some laps of the stairs to get your heart rate up.
  • Learn a dance routine – explore fun tutorials online or on social media.
  • Floor exercises like pilates or yoga.
  • Break out the skipping rope (or borrow one from the kids).
  • Get active with the kids and play games like 'stuck in the mud', hopscotch, or 'hide and seek', or simply kick a ball around in your backyard.

Check out our quick tips for busy people for more ways to stay active.

If you need help getting started with a healthier routine, try joining Get Healthy – a free NSW Health phone-based health coaching service for adults.

Home activity ideas for kids

Children need physical activity to thrive – it helps support their growth, development, sleep, mood and concentration.


If you need some inspiration for getting active inside, check out some fun ideas from our community about ways to stay healthy and active indoors





Play time

Allow kids to do activities they enjoy, especially those that get their heart rates up. Try:

  • running races up and down stairs
  • make your own hopscotch – outline your driveway or porch with chalk or play indoors using tape
  • get kids dancing with online dance videos
  • your favourite online kid-friendly workouts
  • handstands against the wall (maybe take shoes off first!)
  • build an indoor fort or cubby house
  • plant a herb or veggie garden
  • playing with balloons rather than balls (to protect those breakables)
  • an indoor mini-golf course using ping-pong balls and something safe like a spatula
  • quiet time
  • online guided yoga or meditation
  • virtual excursions to keep brains active (just be mindful of screen time)
  • use what you have at home – board games, puzzles, Lego, cards, books, craft
  • give children chores to do around the house each day
  • kids' virtual illustration classes
  • visit animals at the zoo, without leaving home

How much activity do kids need?

 The Australian Department of Health recommends that where possible, children and teens aged 5-17 years need:

  • one hour or more each day of moderate to vigorous physical activity
  • several hours a day of a variety of light physical activities
  • no more than 2 hours per day of screen time (except video chatting).

Ideally, children under 5 should spend at least 180 minutes doing a variety of physical activities, and infants under 1 need 30 minutes of tummy time as well as lots of interactive play throughout the day. Try keeping screen time to under 1 hour a day for kids 3-5 and no screen time for toddlers and babies under 2 (except video chatting).


Remember, getting enough sleep is also important for all children (and adults too!).