Have you refurbished your house yet so your child can stay active during rainy, cold and snowy months?

There are plenty of places to take your child when cabin fever sets in. Sign them up for weekly indoor activities or just go for a one-day visit when the moods right.

YMCA's/Fitness Providers: They offer a variety of calorie-burning fun including gymnastics, indoor basketball, volleyball, wrestling, kick boxing or other martial arts, wall-climbing, athletics, badminton, table tennis, and swimming.

Dance Studios: Kids are welcome in all kinds of classes including ballet, tap, modern, jazz, hip-hop, line dancing, ballroom dancing, yoga, free movement classes and other music/dance combination classes.

Indoor Rinks: Ice skating and roller skating can fill hours of fun on a rainy day.

Children's museums: They exist in most cities, and provide interesting, educational and fun activities that keep your kid on the move (Science Alive in Christchurch!) Indoor nature centres or aquariums offer similar movement opportunities.

Another great option is to create an "imagination station." You can create one in a room in your house, where you set up areas for your child to try different activities. Here are some ideas for older children:

• A container filled with costumes, dress-up clothes, and accessories like crowns, wands, toy shields, armor, masks, vests, belts, shoes, hats, grass skirts, scarf's, play jewelry, wigs etc.
• Boom box with various dance music tapes or CDs (See the great children's music options available in the GKA Shop.)
• Microphone, drums, toy musical instruments, stage curtains
• Puppets, marionettes, magician kits, various stuffed animals
• Batons, small flags, pom-poms, streamers, hula hoops
• Foam mats and wedges, indoor tents, large building blocks or cardboard boxes, bean bag chairs, soft pillows, old blankets, sheets
• Hop scotch mat, action games like Twister, Charades, Simon Says, Follow the leader
• Paddle balls, indoor ball toss games, bean bags, juggling balls, hacky sack
• Kid-safe dart boards or other target games
• Indoor basketball hoop and soft foam balls
• Jump ropes, skip-it, small kid-safe hand weights, exercise stretch bands.

For younger children, try:

• Small pull/push toys or plastic wagons
• Toy household cleaning items such as brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners, feather dusters
• Toy kitchen, restaurant and accessories
• Indoor riding toys

Meanwhile, when you're gathered in front of the television watching your favorite show, don't forget to stand up and do the "GKA Commercial Dance Off" whenever the ads come on. You'll be amazed at how much moving you'll do to the soundtracks of those endless commercials! And be sure to engage in collective booing when junk-food ads fill the screen.