The trick to getting kids to exercise is to make it fun! What better way than to host a themed workout for your little guys and girls?
Fall is an excellent opportunity to do just that! With cooler weather on the way, grab a sweater and head outside with these fall fitness ideas!
Fall is my absolute favorite season. I love the turn in weather, I love the changing leaves, and I love preparing to get back to school. My favorite festivity happens in fall, as well: Halloween! My kids and I love everything about it! We don’t stock up on candy and treats, but we do manage to find many Halloween cooking and art projects. Most of all, we love fun fall fitness activities! Here are a few ideas:
Flying Ghost Frisbee Toss
What you need:
- A plastic flying disc
- Ghost cutout
- Hot Glue Gun
You may use any color disc you prefer (we chose an appropriate Halloween orange). Cut out a ghost shape from white felt (or purchase a pre-made one). Hot glue it to your flying disc. Get the kids outside and teach them how to make their “ghosts” fly!
Jack ‘O Lantern Long Jump
What you need:
- Paper or felt jack o’ lantern cutouts
Begin with two jack ‘o lantern cutouts, either pre-made or homemade. Depending on the ages of your children, space your pumpkins accordingly. Have your kids take a running start and leap from one jack ‘o lantern to the next. Each time your little ones clear the space between the pumpkins, move them apart another inch or two. Longest jumper wins!
Haunted Hopscotch
What you need:
- Nine Halloween cutouts, or sidewalk chalk
- Felt or self-adhesive numbers
- Hot glue gun
This is a favorite! We found adorable pre-made spider webs at a crafts store, but you can use your imagination and create any shape (leaves, spiders, skulls) for your hopscotch board. Good old fashioned sidewalk chalk works if you prefer to draw your own. We glued numbers (felt ones work best) on the webs, and were ready for play!
Spider Skip Rope
What you need:
- A basic jump rope with handles that can be decorated
- 2 fall-related wooden cutouts (we used spiders)
- A hot glue gun
Try this spooky spin on skipping rope! Glue wooden cutouts to the jump rope handles, as desired. Ask your kids to jump like a spider/ ghoul/ skeleton, based on their creative interpretation. Keep a record of jumps and encourage them to beat their top score.
Monster Mad Dash
What you need:
- Two monster-themed bags, either paper or fabric
- Some dried beans, to weigh the bags down and help keep them propped open
- Any fall-related items kids can transfer from one bag to the next (we chose foam “eyeballs”)
This is a kid-friendly version of running “lines”, which is a fabulous fitness tool to increase agility, speed, and endurance. In this case, choose an age-appropriate distance between the monster bags. Because my little monsters are seven and nine, we spaced our bags about 25 yards apart. Begin with all of your fall items in one bag. Time your children, one at a time, to see how long it takes them to transfer all of the “eyeballs” from the first monster bag to the next. They are only allowed to transfer one item per trip.
Wacky Wheelbarrow
What you need:
- Two kids
Remember the wheelbarrow? This is a fun upper body workout for little arms and it is hilarious to watch! Your little wheelbarrow will enjoy walking on her hands, while your other child (or friend) holds the wheelbarrow’s legs. We suggest keeping this activity on grass to maintain a forgiving surface for little hands, or in the event the wheelbarrow gets tired and topples.
Does your family keep special fall traditions? Why not incorporate some fall
