Suggestions for a boy that needs activity

[boscopup]

I posted in another thread about my friend's 7 year old boy. They just started homeschooling this year, and my friend has been having focus issues with him. She recently realized that he's not getting as much exercise as he got in school. They had recess, PE, and playing on the playground at the end of the day during car line. At home, he's not getting that much exercise, and that has been a big part of her problems.

 

So what are some ideas for exercise for a little boy like this? He doesn't need to move while learning. He needs to move inbetween learning. He just needs to burn off energy! And unfortunately, my friend has rheumatoid arthritis and can't go walking everyday or anything like that. It's also a 10 minute drive to the nearest playground. They do have a swingset with slide in their backyard.

 

I suggested a mini-tramp to her, and she was reminded that she has one in her garage that the boys sometimes play with. She's bringing that inside now. :D So what are some other activities to have a 7 year old boy do without mom having to do much exercise? :lurk5:

[Faithr]

I have/had bouncy children too. One thing that they liked when they were little was to do yoga for kids. I got the dvds. Now these do tend to have a little bit of non-Christian stuff in them so her mileage may vary. I am Christian but I didn't think it was enough to deter us from using them frequently. I just explained that it came from a different religion and they used terminology foreign to us. Anyway, that was great for bad weather days. It is great because it does the physical stuff but is actually calming.

 

Other things: the tramp is a treat idea, jumping rope is another, having the child go outside and race against himself is also good. Mom can keep the time with a stopwatch. Another thing we used to do is dance either to Celtic music or old timey rock n roll. Wii fitness or Wii sports might be a good investment for them. A basketball hoop in the driveway is a good idea. Mom might be able to shoot baskets with him or at least watch him make his awesome baskets! Look, Mom!

 

My dh has rheumatoid arthritis. When it is flaring it makes things hard, but when it wasn't he makes a real effort to get out and do things. So when she can she should absolutely go for a walk with him or drive to playground and play with him.

[JudoMom]

My boys sometimes run laps around the backyard.

 

I would suggest she try to do a walk with him everyday. It's good for her RA.

[boscopup]

I would suggest she try to do a walk with him everyday. It's good for her RA.

 

A compounding problem for her is that she shattered her ankle when this child was a baby, and then broke it AGAIN when her second child was a baby. So she tries to walk, but when everything is flaring up and her ankles get bad, she just can't. :(

 

I will suggest that she try to walk everyday when her ankles are feeling up to it though. She seems to have good months and bad months. She tries to walk more when she's having good months. :)

[Staceyshoe]

We've gone through periods of needing more activity. I laminated some papers with numbers and scattered them around the floor. We did math orally for a while, and ds jumped to the correct answer. I've also learned that the kitchen timer is my best friend when focus is an issue. Writing is a big chore around here, and distraction is all-too-frequent. But I can give ds 2 minutes to focus on writing, and then he does 10 jumping jacks or runs around the table a few times. Then we do 2 more minutes of school and another break. He can get more done in 15 minutes with those exercise breaks than he could in 30 minutes without it.

[Tigger]

My DS 7 is a mover and in addition to lots of physical activities (swim team, martial arts, etc.) I try to come up with activities to do within our seat work to keep him moving as part of the lessons.

 

For example, when we were doing measurement in math, I set up a measurement scavenger hunt for him to do around the main floor of our house - he had to go, with ruler, around and measure things and find the things that were the 'mystery'.

 

While I can't do it everyday, I try to do active learning things as often as I can think them up....on days we don't have something planned, I will stop in the middle of a lesson and say something like "okay, stand up and do three jumping jacks, spin around three times and then touch your toes" to give him the minute or two to get up and move.

 

As he's getting a bit older and more mature, I'm needing to do the above less than a year ago!

[Lori D.]

Agreeing with the previous posters about incorporating physical activity as part of how you do school. :)

 

outside:

- run to the corner and back; do several "laps"

- if you have sidewalks: roller skate several "laps"

- jump rope (could also lead to doing this with a group)

 

 

inside:

- big bouncy ball with a handle; bounce "laps" around the house

- turn on upbeat music and dance vigorously

- dance mat and the Dance Revolution game on x-box

- vigorous Wii sport

- do aerobics, kick boxing or other along with an exercise DVD

- Chinese jump rope (loop one end around two chair or table legs, and mom can be the other end)

 

 

outside the home (someone else leads/teaches):

- join a community sports team, swim team, etc.

- join a local homeschool group for weekly PE day

- scouting or a hiking group

- weekly martial arts, dance, gymnastics, or other high-activity class

Edited November 6, 2011 by Lori D.
added info

[shukriyya]

Pogo stick! It can be done on a small patch of cement in the yard even. And while you said the lad didn't need to be moving while learning there is the added bonus of the rhythm lending itself beautifully to all kinds of memory work.

[kalanamak]

 

I will suggest that she try to walk everyday when her ankles are feeling up to it though. She seems to have good months and bad months. She tries to walk more when she's having good months. :)

 

Mini tramp is good. Can she get one of those small-wheeled folded bikes she can creep along with while kiddo runs? Can they get a peppy dog to run about the house with the kid? Can she get in the water at the Y with him? Hubby found another only child whose mum would bring him at the same time so the boys could play.

[Coffeemama]

My DS8 will ride laps around the house and yard on his bicycle. We have a very small section of woods and he cut a short trail to add to his laps. Pedaling over the grass seems to work well here for burning off extra energy.