Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Reading for Exercise or Exercise for Reading

Here is a challenge for the your older kids!

Activity: Exercise for Reading

Description: This is a simple challenge for your older children.

See how long they can...
• march around while reading
•lift knees up to sky from sitting position while reading
• Do heel raises while reading
• Walking around the blockle reading
• While on back. With knees bent reach your book to the sky and try to
get your shoulders off the ground

Alternative: Create a reading interval circuit with the above activities.

Circuit:
• Jog in place or jog around the block for 2 minutes
• Read for 30 second or 2 pages
• Do jump rope or jumping jacks (alternate) for 2 minutes
• Read for 30 second
• Reach book up to sky 10 times by standing on tip toes, twist book
side to side while rotating upper body 10 times.
• Read for 30 second or 2 pages
• Hold body in push-up position (plank) for as long as you can
• Read for 30 second or 2 pages
• Repeat circuit 1-2 times

At the end of your child completing these activities for 1 week reward
them with a new book. Have the book already picked out so they see it
and are motivated to be successful with exercise.

Good luck! Make changes to exercises as needed for your child!

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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Fun Food Friday

Here is a great easy, healthy snack for your kids.

Pumpkin face rice cakes

Ingredients:
1 rice cake
2 tbsp peanut butter or cream cheese with a few drops of orange
natural food coloring
1 strawberry cut in half for nose
2 raisins for eyes
1 apple slice for mouth
Carrot cut in thin strips for crazy hair

Have the kids assemble their pumpkin face snack however they want.
Then all that is left is a healthy, fun snack to eat!

Enjoy

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Pumpkin, Ghosts, and Goblins

Activity: Pumpkin, Ghosts, and Goblin hunt

Description: In the morning hide mini pumpkins, ghosts, spiders or any other halloween related objects in the backyard. Have your children find them by skipping, running, hopping, or walking backwards.

For older children who are starting read...attach cards to each object they find that tells them what gross motor skill (movement) to find the next object (i.e. do 5 jumping jacks to the next pumpkin, tiptoe to the next goblin). You could also have a math problem for them to complete to help memorize math facts. (i.e. Do 3+5 hops to the next ghost).

Skills: locomotor skills (skipping, galloping, running, hopping, etc.), math, and reading. This activity helps develop physical fitness in children and cardiovascular fitness.

This is a great activity for a scavenger hunt for a large group at a birthday or Halloween party.

For Halloween party decorations check out Paper and Cake at www.paperandcake.blogspot.com

Fall Fun For Kids


This is a great time of the year to have your kids help outside with the new fall leaves.

Activity: Leaf Attack

Description: Have your kids gather the leaves into two piles on opposite sides of the a rope. When someone yells "leaf attack", the kids starting throwing the leaves over the rope at opposing team.

Skills: throwing, cardio fitness, spatial awareness, and fun

When they are done with the game, have them work together to see how many leaves they can stuff into one trash bag. This is a great cooperative skill that helps you as well around the yard.