Janine Didyk, Physiotherapist
I have a 3 year old son and an 8 year old daughter and both
definitely need to burn off energy! Children are used to moving often throughout the day. While we
are all staying home here are some tips to keep those kids happy, healthy and
moving.
We start each day with Cosmic Kids Yoga (Cosmic Kids in the App Store, Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube). There are lots of
different themes for your Spider-man or Frozen obsessed child.
Both of my children attend classes which are now cancelled. Here
are some ideas on how you might be able to recreate some of those activities at
home.
Gym class: Warm up - run, skip and hop. We have a pull up
bar that we use for hanging, skin the cat, front support and pull overs. My son
is very creative and often uses tables for front support and 2 solid surfaces
to act as parallel bars. Tape a line on the ground for a balance beam. Mats go
down on the ground to practice somersaults and cartwheels.
Dance class: Many dance studios are offering online
classes so check with your local studio. Search Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
for dance videos your kids can follow along with. At my house, dance parties
are common and one of our current projects is choreographing a dance that my
kids are practicing so we can put on a show for grandparents.
Good old fashioned movements: squatting, jumping jacks and
burpees! “Who can do 10 ________ the fastest!”
Outside fun: Yards, sidewalks and parks. We have been
practicing our ball kicking and throwing skills. Balance skills are tested by
walking around the edges of play structures. Red light/Green light
running/stopping games and frisbee practice in the fields.
Walking through the neighbourhood: Search for decorated
windows (Facebook’s Winnipeg Window Gallery) or create a
scavenger hunt to find all sorts of objects in the neighbourhood. Now that the streets are clearing up we can ride bikes and
scooters.
When in doubt, just let those kids run circles inside your home.
My kids are lucky to be home with a puppy that loves to chase and be chased and
the bonus for us is that everyone gets tired! There is nothing better than modelling good exercise habits for
your children. Participate and start new family activity traditions!