Summer Boredom Busters
- posted: Jul. 09, 2024
July is a month in which many summer activities are winding down and families are spending more time together. In our house, this has lead to some “boredom” with my children. I even find myself wanting to break out of the monotonous routines. When it comes to the kids, my husband and I are working to find ways to continue to help their bodies be active, while making things fun and entertaining.
I recently ran across a website with “A to Z Gross Motor Activities for Kids.” In addition to some great educational material about gross motor skills in general, it also provides some great ideas to keep your kids active, while having fun. Some of the activities include "D is for Dance Party," "N is for Nighttime Scavenger Hunt," and "Y is for Yoga." Print out the list and have your child pick out one or two activities a day from this site. Most of the activities are fun for the whole family, so get in on the fun with your child!
For those of you who find you're growing bored with ways to stay active, maybe it's time to shake up the routine! Try adding strength training to the activities you are already doing. If you go for a walk outside and sit on a bench for a break, stand up and sit back down 5 times before starting your walk again. You could also do 5-10 squats before you sit down. When you find some steps while you're out and about, step up and down on the first step 5-10 times with each foot, then continue on up the stairs. While you are walking, try to challenge yourself to take a bigger step (if that’s safe), or try walking in intervals such as a quick pace for 30 seconds, then your normal pace for 2 minutes, and so on.
Movement doesn’t have to be challenging, but it doesn't need to be boring, either! The more fun you make it, or the more you can incorporate it into your daily routine, the more likely you are to continue to keep it going!
Dr. Kristin Henry earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Des Moines University in 2015. She has advanced training in manual therapy and pelvic rehabilitation. She also has experience with patients ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics.
- posted: Jul. 09, 2024
July is a month in which many summer activities are winding down and families are spending more time together. In our house, this has lead to some “boredom” with my children. I even find myself wanting to break out of the monotonous routines. When it comes to the kids, my husband and I are working to find ways to continue to help their bodies be active, while making things fun and entertaining.
I recently ran across a website with “A to Z Gross Motor Activities for Kids.” In addition to some great educational material about gross motor skills in general, it also provides some great ideas to keep your kids active, while having fun. Some of the activities include "D is for Dance Party," "N is for Nighttime Scavenger Hunt," and "Y is for Yoga." Print out the list and have your child pick out one or two activities a day from this site. Most of the activities are fun for the whole family, so get in on the fun with your child!
For those of you who find you're growing bored with ways to stay active, maybe it's time to shake up the routine! Try adding strength training to the activities you are already doing. If you go for a walk outside and sit on a bench for a break, stand up and sit back down 5 times before starting your walk again. You could also do 5-10 squats before you sit down. When you find some steps while you're out and about, step up and down on the first step 5-10 times with each foot, then continue on up the stairs. While you are walking, try to challenge yourself to take a bigger step (if that’s safe), or try walking in intervals such as a quick pace for 30 seconds, then your normal pace for 2 minutes, and so on.
Movement doesn’t have to be challenging, but it doesn't need to be boring, either! The more fun you make it, or the more you can incorporate it into your daily routine, the more likely you are to continue to keep it going!
Dr. Kristin Henry earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Des Moines University in 2015. She has advanced training in manual therapy and pelvic rehabilitation. She also has experience with patients ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics.
1001 Hudson Rd., Ste. A
Cedar Falls, IA, 50613