The BAC has lots of fun ways for you to stay fit while staying inside!
Minute to win it challenges can be a great way to get your children motivated to move. All you need is a timer and some fun household items. Set up an obstacle course or route for your child to make it through in one minute. If they can complete it in under a minute, let them choose a fun reward like a piggyback ride around the house. If they lose, have them complete a silly task or exercise, such as completing 3 somersaults or 10 jumping jacks. Some minute to win it challenges that we've done at the BAC include courses up and down the stairs, jumping over pool noodles, jumping on unstable surfaces (like a pillow or couch cushion on the ground), and dribbling a soccer ball through cones. Just be sure to select safe activities that your child is already pretty independent with.
Animal charades can be a fun way to use your imagination and get some exercise at the same time. Using the pages below, you can cut out the animal pictures and put them in a bowl. Take turns picking them out and then use the guide to exercise as the animals do! Animals are notorious for loving to play, eat, and do certain tricks while moving around, so have fun and be sure to mimic the pose to help your little ones feel part of the pack, pride, or flock.
Exercise UNO can be a great way to get your young one up and moving. Start by assigning an exercise to each color (Red= sit-ups, Blue= burpees, Yellow= lunges, Green= hops on one leg). Then you just play as you normally would, with the exception that after every third turn that your child plays, you do an exercise based on the card they played. If it's a blue 3 you would do 3 burpees, yellow 8 is 8 lunges. Skip cards can be skipping around the room and reverse cards can be walking backwards. Be sure to have something in mind for the wild card! At the BAC that usually means we get to choose a random exercise!
Simon Says is the perfect game if your child usually benefits from visual cues to complete exercises. Use the sheet provided below and be sure to mix in some easier and fun challenges too! If your little one is having difficulty stopping themselves from completing the tasks that Simon doesn't say to do, that's fine! Just set a number to complete and let them know that once they complete those exercises, they can play a preferred activity. First 4 Simon Says, then play dough!
Just because you're stuck inside doesn't mean its not still spring (or almost summer)! Spring Yoga can be a fun way to relax and stay fit. Put on some babbling brook music and follow the sheet included below to work on your Ladybug, Worm, Ant, and Dragonfly poses. Be sure to do the poses with your child so you can provide some visual feedback for how the pose should look. Once your child has the poses down, be sure to have your child use good breathing strategies using cues to "smell the flowers" with their nose, and "blow on the dandelion" out through their mouth.
The BAC physical therapy department is dedicated to helping children of all abilities be fit for life! If you have questions about your child's motor skills or are looking for additional ways to keep your child moving during this difficult time, please email frontdesk@bostonabilitycenter.com and we would be happy to put you in touch with one of our physical therapists!
