Come the dead of winter, kids indoors can bear a startling resemblance to corn kernels in a popper: they make lots of noise, have little direction, and have a great likelihood of ending up in front of the TV. And yet physical fitness -- crucial to children's health (to say nothing of parental sanity) -- need not be as elusive as the winter sun. The trick, according to successful parents, is to find indoor activities that you can do together and that work up as much laughter as sweat.

Fit in Fitness
Even if the ground where you live isn't blanketed with snow, short days can challenge even the most exercise-committed. Add new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that kids need a daily hour of physical activity, and parents can feel more than a little daunted. But as Gregory Welk, an assistant professor of health and human performance, suggests, "That activity can be accumulated throughout the day." In addition to what the kids do at school, establish a routine in which the family gets active together in the morning or after school, says Welk, whose own family opts for after school. "I play Nerf basketball in the basement with my kids, and we all have a lot of fun." Rose Kennedy, author of "The Family Fitness Fun Book" and a mother of three, advises parents to make use of "in-between times." For example, she says, "Instead of waiting in the car while one of my kids has karate practice, the rest of us will play a game in the waiting area."

Think Outside the Gym
Exercise need not take place in a workout room or modified garage -- the living room or a finished basement is fine. What's important is that the activity be fun and beneficial. Says Elizabeth Petree, a YMCA trainer and fitness coordinator, "It's not just about re-creating outdoor exercise indoors, but about finding activities that have their own set of benefits." She and her son, Henry, five, are likely to be found dancing at home -- shaking to African rhythms or swinging to country tunes. (See the chart for more of Petree's home exercise ideas.)

So if fitness should happen to rise to the top of your New Year's resolutions? Well, we don't want to nag, but setting a good example never hurt. What are you waiting for? The great indoors is calling.