Don’t Let the Fall Bring You Down…
Jump into fall!
Although with fall often comes hot apple cider, cozying up by the fire, and watching movies, staying active during this time of year should also take priority.
Think about incorporating the following activities into your child’s day-to-day routine this fall:
- Performing yoga poses during their favorite movie. Yoga is an excellent activity that incorporates strengthening and flexibility. Have them try the following:
Make their own corn maze. Pull together couch cushions, pillows, stuffed animals, blankets and other indoor furniture to create a maze or obstacle course for your child and their friends. Move around the furniture each time and challenge them to find their way to the end of the ‘maze.’
Carve a pumpkin! Carving pumpkins (with your help) can refine their fine motor skills, including improving eye-hand coordination and upper extremity strength.
Don’t just watch football… play football! Touch football can be a fun cardiovascular activity for the whole family to play in your basement or backyard.
Colder weather doesn’t mean you have to stash away your outdoor sneakers and camp out indoors. There is plenty to do outdoors in the fall!
Make outdoor chores fun! Have your child help you rake up leaves in the yard. Raking is a heavy work activity that can help improve upper extremity and overall body strength. Once they are done, have them race their siblings or friends toward the leaf pile and jump in!
Go on a fall scavenger hunt – the beautiful fall colors make scavenger hunts very fun. Try this one!
Pick apples! Find a nearby apple orchard or climb your own trees to pick apples. Climbing a ladder or tree requires significant upper body strength and motor planning abilities.
Take a hike! You can build strength, stamina, and cardiovascular endurance… all while enjoying the beautiful scenery of fall! Walking up even the smallest inclines or declines can help build your quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors (inner leg muscles), abductors (outer leg muscles), and trunk muscles. Try the following places:
Devil’s Lake (Baraboo)
Token Creek
Parfrey’s Glen (Merrimac)
Pheasant Branch Conservancy (Middleton)
And remember… you can’t help but enjoy this time of year – it’s Autumn-matic!