Active at Home for Kids and Families
Update 5/21: Active at Home is growing! Now including activities and videos in Spanish with Puerto Rican Olympian Beverly Ramos along with virtual challenges, you can check it out to see all the new content.
Millions of parents and teachers across the world right now are working to keep kids busy and active. To help, Rising New York Road Runners has launched a new online resource. Totally free to access and use, Active at Home offers dozens of activities to help kids and their families stay physically and mentally healthy and to help continue physical education during this unprecedented time.
Activities are categorized by age range—pre-K through grade 5 and grade 6 through grade 12. Within each category there are activities for kids alone and for the entire family and for indoor or outdoor exercises. Whatever your situation, these flexible plans can help.
Jenny Simpson, Olympic Medalist and Ambassador and Special Advisor to Rising New York Road Runners, has provided some virtual assistance with instructional videos for some of the activities from her home in Colorado.
Check out this sampling of just a handful of the many Active at Home exercises!
Tight Rope Walking
Tight Rope Walking from Rising New York Road Runners on Vimeo.
Pre-K to Grade 5 / Kids /Indoors
This activity teaches children spatial awareness and helps with balance. The “tight rope” can be anywhere in the home, so get creative!
You can view the full activity here.
Partner Balance Challenges
Pre-K to Grade 5 / Kids and Families / Indoors
This exercise helps kids and their family members engage with and support each other in a fun and challenging way. All you have to do is hold a balance pose together for 15 seconds. You get to choose what the poses are, so yogis out there, this is your chance to teach some yoga poses to the little ones.
You can view full activity here.
Core and Leg Strength
Core and Leg Strength from Rising New York Road Runners on Vimeo.
Grades 6-12 / Kids / Indoors
The core and legs support the rest of the body, and because of that, are very important to overall physical health. The exercises featured in this activity are some of Jenny Simpson’s favorites!
You can view the full activity here.
Dice Fitness Madness
Grades 6-12 / Kids and Families / Indoors
If your kids are into games, this might be the perfect family activity for you! Grab a pair of dice and assign an exercise to each number. The player rolls the dice and must complete the exercises within the given time limit.
You can view the full activity here.
Families can also take advantage of the Active at Home activity tracker . Whether you are looking for something for your own children, or are a teacher providing guidance for your students and their families, Active at Home can help you keep kids active during this time and beyond.