Gym Time
[20 Minutes]
Design your own gym class! Younger children like to do what older children do. Together you and your child can prepare for exercise in the big gym by practicing in your own small gym.
You'll need:
• 3 sheets of paper • markers or crayons • land markers such as cones or colorful plastic buckets • tape • a wide open space – preferably outdoors (weather permitting) • comfortable clothes to move in
What to do:
- Together, gather everything you'll need.
- Explain to your child that the object of the game is to create your own gym class.
- Further explain that one of you will be the “teacher” and one of you the "student" and that you will be teaching each other how to exercise to get your bodies healthy!
How to play:
- Together, sit down with paper and crayons and decide which exercises you will do. Jumping Jacks? Cartwheels? Hops? Toe touches?
- Help your child draw 3 exercises you would like to perform in your gym class, one exercise to each sheet of paper.
- Challenge your child to tape the paper onto one of the cones or buckets so it can be easily viewed.
- Bring your exercise markers to your exercise space and place them far enough apart so you can’t touch them when you’re doing your exercises. You may wish to place them in a diamond shape with enough space so you can get a good walk as you move from one to the other.
- Invite your child to choose who will be the teacher.
- The teacher explains and demonstrates to the student how to do the exercises and directs the student to follow the markers.
- The teacher also gives additional directions as needed.
- Switch roles and start again.
Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.
- Did you like being the teacher? What did you like?
- Did you find you had to do more talking than you thought?
- Which do you like better, being the teacher or the student?
- What other exercises could you do in your own gym class?
Useful information:
While you are having fun together, your child is developing large motor skills and thinking skills.
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