Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Morning Walk Challenge

You may recall our neighborhood scavenger hunt, one idea I had for spicing up our (sort-of) daily morning walk. This week, I asked N to come up with a list of "physical challenges" that the kids could do while we were out and about. Here's what he handed me:

  1. Run, then skip to the fire hydrant.
  2. Gallop to the mailbox, then run to the street sign.
  3. Run to the signposts, then hop to the corner.
  4. Run to the red car.
  5. Walk backwards to the street lamp.
  6. Run to the black mailbox, then gallop to the front door.
I won't lie and say that this activity was a resounding success, but it definitely has potential. Despite a little whining at the beginning, by the time we hit the last challenge, everyone had decided to let it be fun after all.

Afterwards, I asked N what he would do differently if we decided to do this activity again. For one thing, he realized that he had written a pretty demanding list, and it would be good to balance the more strenuous activities (like running and galloping) with some that would let them catch their breath (like walking backwards). He also figured out that hopping isn't something they can sustain for very long, so he would use it for a smaller stretch. I would also encourage him to think of other ways to move, such as jumping, walking sideways, tiptoeing, etc. to increase the variety.

We'll definitely have to try this one again with those modifications in mind!

2 comments:

Alyssa said...

I love this idea. I definitely need to incorporate a daily walk with my 4 boys into our day!

I heard a quote in a film segment about an outdoor preschool in Norway: There is no such thing as bad weather; only bad clothing. If kids in Norway can go out and play daily (even if it is dark all day and below freezing!), so can I.

Tarasine (pronounced Tara-seena, in case you were wondering) said...

That is a good quote, Alyssa! I admit I am kind of a wimp when it comes to "bad" weather. I have a hard time mustering up the energy to bundle everyone up on cold days. Also, I never feel like it rains often enough where we live to justify rain gear, though it would come in very handy a few times a year. Probably just too many excuses! The neighborhood walk is a very nice addition to our day when we do make it work, though.