Students are challenged each day to participate in the activities listed on the calendar. The month of September is officially Back to School time, and we’ve included some basic fitness exercises, yoga poses, plus some brain boost break ideas. Each week, the number of repetitions for each fitness exercise increases. Please keep in mind the number of repetitions is meant as a guide, and can be adapted as needed based on age group and skill level.
On Saturdays, we encourage some outdoor activities to keep kids active over the weekend. As the fall season approaches, have kids toss a football and practice throwing skills, or visit a local orchard and walk through a cornmaze.
Butterfly Kicks: Lie on your back. Keep your abs tight and raise your feet just barely off the floor and flutter kick them.
Tuck Jumps: Bend your knees and lift your heels high while jumping.
Mountain Climbers: Start in a push-up position, then alternate bringing one foot at a time forward toward your armpit and then extend it back out.
Sky Reaches: Raise your arms up to the sky. Then rise up on your tippy toes, continuing to reach for the sky while keeping your body tight. Hold for a set amount of time, then lower your heels and arms slowly.
Since schools are officially back in session by September, we’ve included some fitness activity ideas that are great for classroom brain breaks! Students can use their desks, textbooks, and the classroom space to get active and take a break from their work. On Wednesdays, refer to the two Task Cards on page 2 of the calendar download for a total of 10 ideas.
The month of September is a great time to introduce yoga to your classroom or program, or if you already have a yoga unit established, you can create even more hype and excitement during National Yoga Month! Teach students the benefits of yoga, as well as some basic poses. Refer to the Yoga Task Card on Fridays on page 3, which includes 5 poses. You can choose to continue with these all month, or choose new poses each week.