How to Keep Physical Activity FUN?
01/29/21
If someone were to ask you “what is the first thing you think about when you think about BOKS?”, what would that thought be? Since starting the BOKS program in 2009, one of our goals has been to make being physical activity FUN. And what better way to bring the fun into movement than by using games. Starting with one of our most popular games – Toilet Tag, we realized that trainers oftentimes wanted new and engaging games to keep the kids moving. To kick off 2021, we are releasing a new Games booklet! We encourage you to try some of these new BOKS games to get your kids moving in innovative ways this month.
“Are You Game?” has 21 new games to explore and keep your kids moving. You can download the document in the Trainer Hub or sign up to BOKS to access it.
Here are five of our favorites- try them in your neighborhood, with your family, class at school or with your BOKS group!
1. BOKS It
• Leader will call out commands to the group.
• Commands are “Jack It – Kick It – Spin It – Squat It”.
• Start out by calling commands slowly and increase the speed of your calls as you go along. If a player misses a command, just jump back in the game
2. Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Locate all the items on the Scavenger Hunt list. When an item on the list is collected or noted, kids need to do 5 of any chosen skill (i.e. jumping jacks, squats, push-ups etc.)
Find something:
• Green.
• That can hold water.
• Sunglasses.
• Brown.
• That can open and close.
• That stretches.
• That starts with the letter H.
• That was a gift.
• That you can read.
• You can wear it around your neck.
• That rolls.
• You can wear.
• With eyes.
3. Connect 4
Use the BOKS Connect 4 board found in the “Are You Game?” booklet. We recommend laminating this playing board. Use the BOKS dice or regular dice. Play can be individual, with a partner at a physical distance or as a class. Templates of BOKS Dice can be downloaded from the BOKS Trainer Hub.
• Roll the dice and do the exercise that it lands on and the number of repetitions from the second die.
• Mark off the corresponding number on the Connect4 board that matches the number on the die.
• Each player or team chooses a color to mark off their completed spots.
• The first kid to get 4 spaces in a row with their color is the winner.
• The rows can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal.
VARIATIONS: If you do not have dice with skills on them use a chart of skills and associated numbers:
1 – Tuck Jump
2 – Squat
3 – Crunch
4 – Push-Up
5 – Burpee
6 – Plank
4. Jenga Fitness
• Use a Jenga game.
• Draw shapes on the sides of each of the pieces, making three wild card shapes.
• Stack the Jenga blocks making sure to spread out the shapes evenly between pieces.
• Play as usual removing pieces from the stack without knocking the larger stack over.
• Upon removing a piece from the stack, kids must perform the skill associated with the color and shape on the piece. Blue Diamonds = 10 Squats, Red Circle = 10 Jumping Jacks, Green Triangle = 10 Push Ups, Orange Square = 10 Jumps, Purple Star = 10 Sit Ups/Crunches Wild Card = Opponent chooses what skill the player does.
• Play until someone knocks over the stack.
5. ABC Beanbag Challenge
Materials: Beanbag or other small objects, rolled up socks, hacky sac, or stuffed animal.
• Do an activity for each letter of the alphabet.
• Record your time and try to beat it the next time you do the activity.
• Make sure you do each activity 10 times or for 10 seconds with both sides of the body (right and left).
A- Balance the beanbag on your ARM.
B- Balance the beanbag on your BACK.
C- Toss the beanbag in the air and CATCH it.
D- Squat DOWN and put the beanbag on the floor.
E- Balance the beanbag on your EAR.
F- Balance your beanbag on each finger, one at a time for 10 seconds each.
G- GALLOP around your beanbag, while it is placed on the floor.
H- Balance the beanbag on your HEAD.
I- Walk IN a circle around your beanbag.
J- JUMP while holding your beanbag.
K- Drop your beanbag and KICK it back up to your hands.
L- LEAP over your beanbag.
M- MARCH in a circle around your beanbag.
N- Balance your beanbag on your NOSE.
O- Jump OVER your beanbag.
P- Balance the beanbag on your PALM and lunge.
Q- QUICKLY toss your beanbag in the air and catch it.
R- RUN in place with your beanbag.
S- Balance the beanbag on your SHOULDER.
T- TWIRL in a circle with your beanbag.
U- Put the beanbag UNDER your foot and do calf raises.
V- Hold the beanbag VERY high in the air.
W- WALK backwards with your beanbag.
X- Jump in the air and make an X with your body.
Y- YELL the word beanbag while doing star jumps.
Z- ZOOM around the room with your beanbag.
If you want more creative, engaging games be sure to visit our BOKS website and sign up for BOKS, in order to download the “Are You Game?” booklet.