Old Fun in the New Normal
With parks and playgrounds closed, a neighborhood walk has become a go-to activity for many families. Although it is always nice to get outside, the same walk time and time again can get a little stale. Here are five ways to make your next neighborhood walk action-packed!
1. Mix it up!
Who says walks are just for walking? Try different movements for each block. Some of our favorites are bunny hopping, running, walking backwards, hopping on one foot, and skipping! Let the whole family participate in the fun and take turns who gets to choose the movement activity for that block.
2. Change of Pace
Keep the excitement in your daily walk by combining it with “Red Light, Green Light.” Not only will this keep your child engaged while using that extra energy, but the “red lights” will also give you some time to catch up!
3. Multi-Tasking
We know that walking is great for our muscles and bones, but what about our minds? Add some learning to your walk by encouraging your child to identify items related to a theme. For example, if you are working on letters, have your child scope out objects which start with each letter of the alphabet. You can try this with numbers, colors, and shapes, too!
4. Don’t Step on the Crack!
Those small cracks in the sidewalk can seem like pesky tripping hazards, but they can also serve as built in obstacle course challenges! Encourage your child to jump or step over each crack. See who can avoid the most cracks on each block! The winner gets a prize!
5.Go for the Gold
Technology, whether good or bad, is a part of everyday life nowadays. Let’s use it to our advantage to motivate movement! Track how many steps your family is taking each walk and log it. This can motivate your family to stay active; try to beat your daily or weekly records!
Hopefully this helped mix it up for you and your family! See you on the sidewalks…6 feet away, of course!
