Keeping Kids in Motion
Building a community where fitness and play are the foundation for all families.
Lucky Leprechaun’s March Fitness Challenge
Lucky Leprechaun’s March Fitness Challenge consists of three different workouts (green, yellow, and white) focusing on endurance, upper body, and lower body strength. As the month progress, the time and/or number of repetitions for each exercise gradually increases. There is a built-in rest day every fourth day. Each rest day includes an additional non-fitness related challenge.
Each student’s fitness level varies. Therefore, the guidelines on the calendar are not set in stone. With help from an adult, each of the exercises and/or repetitions and times can be adapted to appropriately challenge the student. For example, if a student doesn’t have a jump rope, he can jump with an “imaginary” jump rope. This will allow him to reap the healthy benefits of continuously jumping for the given amount of time. What if the number of repetitions for an exercise is too high on day one? If this is the case simply adjust the repetitions throughout the month. Never hesitate to contact the physical education department with any questions or comments regarding the challenge.
Click Lucky Leprechaun Fitness for access to the challenge!
Don’t forget to turn in your calendar at the end of the month!
Mark each day a workout (including the “rest day” challenge) is completed with a check mark. At the end of the month, count up the total number of checks, then write that number on the bottom of the calendar where it says, “Total Days Completed.”
Calendars can be turned in to a PE teacher any day after March 31st. All students who take part in Lucky Leprechaun’s March Fitness Challenge and return their calendar will receive an award certificate and a toe token. The names of the students who complete the challenge will be proudly posted outside the gym.
Students do NOT have to complete each day to receive a certificate. We understand that our students have busy schedules, or sometimes just forget to complete a workout. The goal is to have fun while getting fit!
Parents are encouraged to help and even participate in the workouts.
Your child may need a little guidance. We encourage parents to assist with form and necessary adaptations based on fitness level. Finally, students get so excited when parents and siblings participate in the challenge with them. What better way to lead by example and promote lifelong fitness!
Click Lucky Leprechaun Fitness for access to the challenge!
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justybubpe.
Check out my Facebook group called Keeping Kids in Motion!
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for over 100 useful games for physical education!
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for over 100 useful games for physical education!
Check out my TeachersPayTeachers store.
FOR THE LOVE OF EXERCISE – 25 Day Fitness Challenge
The trusty JUMP ROPE once again grabs the spotlight for February’s Flourish with Fitness Challenge. For the Love of Exercise is designed to increase awareness of all the benefits from jumping rope. Jump rope is one of the most effective cardiovascular exercises. Along with benefits to the heart, jump rope also enhances coordination, agility, and strengthens bones, arms, legs, and core.
Click FOR THE LOVE OF EXERCISE for access to the challenge.
For the Love of Exercise also offers other exercises to help enhance full body fitness. Throughout the month, participants will be challenged with exercises including plank, squats, and burpees, where the degree of difficulty gradually increases week by week.
The workouts posted each day can be adapted to fit the fitness level of each participant. Students may need to perform fewer repetitions on a given day due to fatigue or if they’re physically not ready. Some students may need to add more time and repetitions than the ones posted on any given day to level up.
This workout is an excellent opportunity for jump rope beginners to strengthen their jump rope ability. I encourage beginner jumpers to persevere. If you put in a little work each day, your ability will increase steadily. For the advanced jumpers, you are encouraged to push yourselves and even try the more difficult challenges demonstrated in the video below.
I like to give each student who returns a fitness challenge a certificate of participation.
Get certificate HERE.
CHECK THIS OUT! Below is a Blowing off S.T.E.A.M project I created for my students. Here, they are challenged to use available household materials to create their own jump rope.
(Click Blowing Off STEAM in PE for an editable copy of the challenge!)
Click For the Love of Exercise for access to the challenge.
Click CERTIFICATE for access to the FOR the LOVE of EXERCISE participation certificate.
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justybubpe.
Check out my Facebook group called Keeping Kids in Motion!
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for over 100 useful games for physical education!
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for over 100 useful games for physical education!
Check out my TeachersPayTeachers store.
The COLOR DASH – Fitness Board Game
I was recently inspired by my kids. During their week off from school for winter break, much of their time was spent at home, inside due to rainy weather. With this, out came the board games. Monopoly, Life, Clue, and Qwirkle were just a few games enjoyed throughout the week. My kids are 14, 15, and 17 years old. I was impressed that they still enjoyed playing board games as much as they did when they were 8, 9, and 11. Board games are accessible and user-friendly, plus, most of them list the ideal playing age from 4-89. Therefore, I knew what I needed to do. I would tap into the excitement and develop my own.
Click COLOR DASH for access to the challenge!
So I created The COLOR DASH, a game combining fitness, a little math, and lots of fun. Although I encourage kids to play The COLOR DASH with family and friends, it can also be played alone.
Objective: Players DASH around the board collecting as many points as possible by completing exercises.
Equipment: You will need The COLOR DASH game board, 1 dice, 1 game piece per player (create your own), 1 water bottle per player, and a pad and pencil to keep score.
Game Play: To begin, each player rolls the die. The player with the higher number goes first. Place game pieces on the square marked “START/FINISH.” Roll the die to establish how many spaces to move in a clockwise direction. Complete the action assigned to the square in order to earn its point value. Use the key located in the center of the board to determine the square’s action and point value. Players alternate turns. Play continues until both players land directly on or pass by the square marked “START/FINISH.” The player with the most accumulated points wins the game. This is not necessarily the player who finishes first. Of course, players are encouraged to congratulate each other on working hard and having fun completing the COLOR DASH!
Alternative Versions:
- Set a timer for a predetermined amount of time. For example, you may want to either play until you finish the board or stop playing after 5 minutes (or whatever time you set).
- Play for a set number moves. For example, players agree on the total number of moves prior to the game. If they decided the maximum number of moves is seven, then after each player’s seventh move the game is over.
Get your COLOR DASH fitness challenge below!
Click COLOR DASH for access to the challenge
It can also be used in classrooms as a brain break and in physical education classes as an instant activity. Simply laminate the game board and it will last forever.
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/justybubpe.
Check out my Facebook group called Keeping Kids in Motion!
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for over 100 useful games for physical education!