Increasing Opportunities for Movement and Fitness in Your Child
With summer coming to an end and the weather starting to cool off, the fall is a great time for you and your child to explore new opportunities for exercise and movement.
Exercise has many benefits for children, including supporting physical and brain development! See below for ideas on getting your family moving this fall.
Nature and Neighborhood Walks
The beauty of nature surrounds us during fall, which is a perfect season to print out a bingo card and go for a walk in nature or around your neighborhood! Click here (and see below) for a sample bingo card you can use, along with other nature walk ideas.
For older children or those interested in photography, you can also go on a nature photo safari and ask children to take pictures of different items such as a spider web, a squirrel, flowers of different colors.
Yoga
Yoga is a great activity for building strength and flexibility, increasing body awareness, and learning coping skills. Doing it together as a family allows for adults to also have designated time to breathe, reduce stress, and stretch as well!
Cosmic Kids Yoga is just one example of a free YouTube site offering free videos with child-friendly yoga themes, including Dinosaur Yoga and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Yoga.
Sports and Fitness Activities
If your child expresses an interest in a new sport or activity:
• Look for opportunities to try it out, as many gyms or activity centers (including rock climbing studios or martial arts gyms) have open gym time or trial nights. Some programs, such as We Rock the Spectrum, also have adaptive or sensoryfriendly spaces or classes.
• Praise and reinforce effort and the exploration of a new activity
• Take an interest and engage with them
Additionally, the Special Olympics offers 30 sports across the United States. If your child is interested in joining a new sport team, this is a great time to get involved.
Other Family-Friendly Fitness Activities
If you’re looking for other new fitness activities to try with your family, this article from Parent Map includes some great lists of options as well as tips!