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$10,000 Defenders of Physical Activity Award

UPDATE: 12/14/20 – We are thrilled to announce that BOKS has awarded over $200,000 to more than 90 schools and non-profit youth organizations in underserved communities in the U.S. These grants will help support BOKS programming and other health and wellness initiatives during the 2020-21 school year.  As such, our grant program is now closed and we will not be accepting any additional applications at this time.

Please check back in Summer 2021 for additional grant opportunities for the next school year.  We will announce our next grant program on our own website and social media channels first so be sure to follow us for the most up to date information!

At BOKS, we envision a world in which physical activity is part of every child’s day.

As our world has changed, so have schools and physical activity – which is why we are thrilled to announce that we are awarding a $10,000 Defenders of Physical Activity Award!

Anyone running BOKS — schools, nonprofit youth organizations, or nonprofit — are allowed to apply. While BOKS continues to provide free physical activity resources that can be used both in-person and remotely, we also wanted to find a way to recognize the schools and organizations in a BIG WAY! All we ask is that you are running some variation of our program – our traditional program, BOKS bursts or some combination of the two.

BOKS Kids

We know that all programs serving kids are very different this year due to COVID. Existing BOKS programs, and the trainers who run those programs, are adapting physical activity to serve students in all learning scenarios, whether remote, hybrid, or in-person with social distancing. To us, these all-star BOKS programs are real-life superheroes.

The Fall 2020 BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity award will recognize one exemplary BOKS program that not only changes the health and wellness of kids in their community but sets an example for other schools and nonprofit youth organizations to do the same. We want to hear from you and learn how you’ve creatively adapted the BOKS’ program to suit the needs of your current learning environment.

Still not sure if you should apply?! What do you have to lose? Only $10,000!

Remember! How you spend the money is completely up to the discretion of school or community. Are nutritious meals difficult to serve to kids due to being remote? Use this funding to help feed your students. Is there a lack of electronic devices for kids to be in school remotely? Whatever the scenario you are dealing with we want to help!

The winner of the Fall 2020 BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity will receive:

  • A $10,000 grant for your school or non-profit youth organization;
  • A “Defender of Physical Activity” Trophy for the school;
  • BOKS “Defender of Physical Activity” T-shirts for BOKS trainers and all enrolled program students;
  • BOKS “Defender of Physical Activity” medals for all enrolled participants;
  • Press release template for school to share with local media.

Ready to apply? Please be sure to prepare the following:

  • Describe how you’re using the BOKS program in 300-400 words. Include how you’ve adapted BOKS to your hybrid/remote learning environment, how many kids you’ve been able to keep moving with BOKS and why your school’s program should be considered.
  • If possible, share 2-3 photos or 1 short video clip highlighting either the in-person or virtual program you’ve implemented (must have permission from school to post / share on our channels and consent forms from the children’s parents/guardians who are featured).
  • Submissions can be sent via email to: christene.lyons@bokskids.org. Subject line: BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity Award Submission.
  • Must provide permission for a BOKS team member to virtually visit your class this year.  Advance notice of visit will be provided and mutually agreed upon between the school’s trainer and BOKS’ team member.

Submissions must be made no later than 11:59pm EST November 30, 2020, and can be submitted by or on behalf of the BOKS program trainers.

CREATING HEALTHY SNACKS FROM YOUR HARVEST

Come September, beyond thoughts of back to school, all I can think about is my garden HARVEST. Back in April when I started my seedlings, the thought of the HARVEST was far off, but now that it’s here, all I start to think about is the yummy delicious items I can make with my HARVEST. Given that September is also back to school time, I want to devote this blog to ways to snack through your HARVEST.

One of the simplest if not the most fun way to snack through your HARVEST is what I would call grazing. Grazing in the kitchen is something that we don’t want to be doing that often. But grazing in the garden is something totally different, healthy even. While HARVESTING your crops, there is nothing more pleasing than eating a bean or tomato straight off the vine. Peas (even though they are an early season crop) are great for a grazing kid to snack on. Nasturtiums are a very pretty, edible, vining flowers that are a great addition to the garden. They can be picked daily to dress up a salad or eaten right off the vine.

Whether you had a garden or not, now is a great time to include extra veggies into snacks. If you can’t pick your own vegetables at home, or a community garden, look into the many farmers’ markets that are full of fresh veggies (especially at HARVEST time).

Below is a list of ways to engage your children and at the same time create some healthy snacks for school:

1- Make your own Pizza. Ask your child what ingredients that you can pick from your garden that would make great pizza toppings. Or do a mini scavenger hunt for those ingredients at a farmers’ market. Ideas include: Tomatoes, basil, spinach, oregano, peppers, onions. These items can be sautéed into a sauce, or go straight onto the pizza dough with a little added cheese.

2- Veggie Platter – Ask your child what type of vegetables they would like on a veggie platter. Depending on the vegetables that are picked from the garden or farmers’ market, you can challenge your child to use the veggies to make a design or make some Veggie Bugs – use this recipe for inspiration!

3- When I have a big zucchini crop, there are lots of recipes for zucchini that can be used as snacks. Zucchini bread/muffins is something that I make and freeze so I can have on-hand for after school snacks.

Zucchini “Bread” Muffin Recipe:

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup cooking oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups finely grated, unpeeled, zucchini
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Gather muffin tins or bread pan
  3. Large Bowl – Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt
  4. Small Bowl – Whisk eggs into oil, vanilla – stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined.
  5. Fold in shredded Zucchini and fill muffin tins or bread pan ¾ full.
  6. Bake 20-22 min – until toothpick comes out clean.
    Options: add ½ cup mini chocolate chips before baking to make sweeter OR substitute ¾ cup sugar to make less sweet. Can also add 1/3 cup applesauce for the cooking oil.

4- Zucchini fries are another quick and easy way to snack. For a more substantial snack, if you have a vegetable peeler, you can peel the zucchini into thin strips that can be used as a pasta. America’s Test Kitchen has a fabulous recipe for Zucchini Crisps which is geared for kids ages 5-8.

5- Tomatoes – if you grew tomatoes it is highly likely that you have an overwhelming amount of tomatoes (even if you and your kids snacked on them while picking). For a quick, fun snack you can pair up some cherry tomatoes with mozzarella balls on a toothpick. If you grew the big tomatoes, you can take a slice and put it on top of an English muffin half with a slice of cheese for a quick and easy pizza.

There are so many ways to use the Harvest from your garden. Please share ideas that you and your child have come up with on our BOKS Trainer Community Facebook group.

Happy Harvesting – Happy Snacking

HEATHER CHASE
BOKS Mentor Team & Outreach

ANNOUNCING: Beethoven Elementary as BOKS’ Defenders of Physical Activity Program of the Year

Last year, BOKS announced the Defenders of Physical Activity Award to recognize exceptional programs across the country. This award is meant to highlight the trainers, parents, teachers, volunteers, and administrators that are dedicated to the physical and mental health of their students. All award recipients utilize BOKS in different ways, and all demonstrate their passion for the BOKS mission – to get kids active and establish a lifelong commitment to health and fitness.We are thrilled to recognize Beethoven Elementary School of West Roxbury, MA, as the BOKS Defenders of Physical Activity Program of the Year! Beethoven was one of our Fall 2019 award winners – watch highlights from their original award ceremony here. Trainers Lisa Garlington and Carolyn Sullivan go above and beyond to support and motivate their students. As a result, the students approach each BOKS class with positivity, enthusiasm, and an eagerness to get moving.

As a thank you for their commitment to BOKS, Beethoven will be receiving a $2500 grant to further support physical activity programming.

Congratulations to the staff and students of Beethoven and thank you for helping make physical activity and play a part of every child’s day!

 

PANEL: Understanding and coping with your child’s mental health during Covid-19

At this point, we’ve all heard it a million times, “we are living in unprecedented times.” Covid-19 has impacted so many of us in so many different ways. Now, we are collectively facing back-to-school and determining if and how children will go back amidst this pandemic.

At BOKS, we are working to provide you with resources for all different school environments. We also wanted to take a moment to remind you that this has been a taxing experience on all of our mental health – particularly our children. Please feel free to check out our free virtual panel, “Understanding & coping with your child’s mental health during Covid-19,” which provides some helpful tips on supporting the children in your life during this tough time.

The panel featured the following physical and mental health experts:

  • Elsie Taveras, Pediatrician, Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospital, Clinical Epidemiologist, and Childhood Obesity Researcher
  • Michelle Carter, Director of Educational Content and Programs, SHAPE America
  • Daniella Land, Co-Founder and CEO (WE Integrated)
  • Bo Shappell, Middle School PE Teacher, Co-Founder (WE Integrated)
  • Ken Duckworth, Chief Medical Officer for the National Alliance on Medical Illness (NAMI), Medical Director for Behavioral Health at BCBSMA, and Child and Adolescents Psychiatrist

THE CONSENSUS

Structure, physical activity, and support stand to significantly decrease the harmful mental health impacts of Covid-19 on kids. Parents and educators should be alert to changes in kids’ behaviors and should not hesitate to reach out for help. At the same time, free resources, including those shared by the panelists below, are widely available to serve the wellbeing of children. BOKS is thankful to be one of these resources, along with the indispensable insights and resources shared by the panelists. To learn more, you can watch the full panel, Understanding and coping with your child’s mental health during Covid-19 here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AS DISCUSSED IN THE PANEL:

Resources from SHAPE:

In addition, if you want to support the mental health of those in need, BOKS’ partner Reebok has launched the “Keep It Clean” graphic tee, a fun reminder to wash your hands, the proceeds of which benefit the Benson-Henry Institute of Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

4 Ways to Get Out in Nature this Summer

Many of my best memories of childhood are linked to time spent having fun in the park, on the playground, in the street or in nature! Each season has so much to offer families and provides a great opportunity to try out different activities to give our routine a little change. Kids love spending time outside rain or shine and when parents are involved, it adds something special to the adventure. Time spent outdoors provides us with irreplaceable benefits. It is so great for your physical and mental health.  Kids that spend a lot of time outside get more physical activity minutes in their day and feel less stressed. Nature is a great space to teach new skills because it provides a rich environment for experimentation and play.

I want to share with you our fun outdoor activity list to inspire you to move outside as a family and added a few challenges! Have fun!

1 – Going for walks in the woods!

This is one of our favorite activities to do as a family! We love going for nice walks with our dog and enjoy being in nature together. The kids love running around, looking at the birds, chasing the dog, picking up leaves and throwing rocks in the river. Giving the kids the lead on the nature walk can be interesting to see which way they prefer and how fast/slow they want to walk. I like to give some time and space for the kids to experiment on their own. It’s a good idea to ensure the environment is safe, so the kids can discover independently and take “risks” without putting themselves in danger. Children can feel confident and empowered making safe choices on their own!

Challenge: We challenge your family to walk for 5K or organize a cross country run for friends and family!

 

 

2 – Rollerblading

This activity is so great and the whole family can get a fun but challenging “workout”. Skating can develop balance, coordination, strength, and boost confidence in children of all ages. Make sure you have all the protective equipment needed (helmet, elbow, knee and wrist guards). Skating is so much fun for the kids and you will be surprised how quickly they can improve their skills.

  • Challenge: Stop by the skate park and try a few tricks!

3 – Golfing at the driving range

This is a new activity for our kids this summer! Golf is a game that encourages family participation. We weren’t sure how patient they would be learning about this new sport, but we were pleasantly surprised by the results. Kids like trying new things! We started by going to the driving range and the kids quickly got into it. While enjoying the great summer weather, the kids got to learn how to control their emotions, work on their focus and learn new skills!

  • Challenge: Once the kids get more experience, why not hit the golf course and play a game! Golf is an opportunity for quality bonding time.

4 – Swimming in a lake

I know it sounds simple, but swimming in a lake is always so entertaining! Kids get to experience cold water, the waves and get to meet new people. They love collecting the rocks and trying to find the little fish. It is a great opportunity to improve their swimming skills as it is very different than swimming in the pool. Being a confident swimmer is so useful for the kids as they are also able to take part in a huge range of activities like kayaking, waterskiing and going to water parks. Bring a football or a frisbee and play catch in the water!

  • Challenge: Try to get up on a paddle board and enjoy some time on the water!

 

I hope I inspired you to get active in nature!  It is important for parents to find activities that will keep their children moving, smiling, and healthy throughout the 12 months of the year. When it comes to staying active, you want to keep “fun” in mind. What have you experienced this summer so far?  Have you tried a new activity or sport? Looking for more ideas to be active in nature, take a look at the BOKS Summer fun pack! Have a great summer!

KIM ST-PIERRE

Manager Business Development, BOKS Canada

Tips and Tricks for Creating Independent Structure Over the Summer

summer activitiesIt’s been an incredibly stressful time, and it’s important that we help our kids thrive during the summer months  – maybe above all else, it is important that during this time we do what we can to support our kids in feeling happy, safe, and secure. Without many summer programs able to run and camps either canceled or highly restricted, engaging our kids in some structured activity at home may be more important than ever. Creating a plan for some independent structure, making it age and stage appropriate, and knowing where to look for resources can help us avoid boredom! Here are a few tips and tricks for July and August.

Have a plan

Boredom can be the biggest enemy of kids during this time, as well as parents! Boredom can lead to some challenging behaviours, and compound feelings of stress in an already pretty stressful time! By making a plan ahead of time, and including our kids in the conversation, we can simultaneously ease stress and provide happy memories during the summer months.

  • Engage kids in conversations around how they want to spend their time – make them a part of the process.
  • Reserve a bit of time on the weekend to get set for the week ahead.
  • Consistency and predictability can be helpful – it can help times feel less chaotic and more opportunistic.
  • Be honest about your WHY – clear communication around any structure implementation can help kids more comfortably navigate the changes.
  • Try to consider age and stage in your decision-making – independent structure looks very different for a 6-year-old and a 13-year-old.

Providing different types of activities and structure can keep things fun and safe for everyone.

Elementary-aged kids

If you have elementary-aged kids at home, try starting with a few options for activities. By giving a few options instead of asking an open-ended question like “What do you want to do today?”, it can help remove stress from the process while still giving kids some say in how they spend their time. Try to focus on the fun, even if you’re doing “mundane” activities – a lot of joy can be found in creating games out of chores or less preferred activities, and ultimately help with the success of independently structured time. When in doubt, try to ask yourself what you would have wanted to do at that age. What would have brought you joy in a day?

Middle School-aged kids

Middle schoolers inherently have more complex needs to consider when planning for the summer months. Try to build in some time for friendships – it’s a challenge to be away from friends during this time but it’s particularly hard on middle schoolers. Incorporating more opportunities for leadership and responsibility can help kids this age and give them more autonomy over their structured time. Is there a household project they could help with? An interest in cooking they’d like to explore? These can be great ways to brainstorm ideas with your kids. We have an opportunity to encourage independence in a more controlled environment, while creating some positive life-long habits.

Inside Time

Unfortunately, weather can significantly impact how successful structured time can be. If the weather keeps you indoors this summer, here are some things you can do:

  • Try to limit screen time when possible. Try designing your own video game or cartoon instead.
  • Build a fort (and clean it up!).
  • Create a BOKStacle course.

  • Cook or try new food. Here is an example.
  • Play a board game or cards.
  • Read a book or play an audiobook.
  • Try journaling or creative writing.
  • Start a challenge – maybe it focusses on mindfulness, or at-home fitness (check out BOKS monthly calendars).
  • Give back to your community – making things like donation bags or gathering supplies for a local food bank can do good and help foster a deeper sense of community.

Outside Time

We recommend going outside as often as possible. Please make sure you’re adhering to physical distancing guidelines while outside your home to keep yourselves and others healthy. Here are some ideas for time outside:

  • Get your sprinkler out. Run through it as many times as you can.
  • Blow up your kiddy pool – water wings and goggles encouraged.
  • Grow a garden.
  • Take the dog outside to play or go for a walk.
  • Camp in your backyard – set up a tent and roll out your sleeping bags.
  • Make a picnic.
  • Create a new sport with whatever gear you have on hand.
  • Star in a play – create your own set, characters, and story. Put on a show for your family.

We want to help

Summer fun packBOKS will be offering content throughout the summer to support families across the country and continue to get kids active! All Facebook Live class recordings will be available on YouTube, and access to the April, May, and June Fitness Calendars will be available for download. The Summer Fun Pack is also free and available for download – it includes tons of amazing lessons, activities, and crafts to keep kids engaged over the summer months!

It’s important to remember through all of this, that finding balance is key. Try to supervise as best as possible, give kids opportunities to have a voice, and try to find a sweet spot between effort and ease. We need to remind ourselves that we may not be able to achieve EVERYTHING, but we can still make it a positive summer experience for our children.

 

LAUREN HUTCHISON

Regional Coordinator-Western Canada

Sharing a Passion of Gardening with Your Kids!

Gardening is a passion of mine. I can’t remember a time that I did not have a garden in my yard/patio/balcony/deck. Now that we’ve been confined to our home (only leaving for essentials) due to the coronavirus, gardening has taken on a whole new meaning for me. A little bit of history here. Gardening during pandemics is actually a common practice. During WWI and WWII, people planted Victory Gardens to supply fresh produce to the community. Today, the ability to create a “victory garden” has become more and more popular. And since I’m known as a perpetual gardener, I’ve been receiving a lot of emails and calls for advice on vegetable gardens.

kids and parents gardeningBuilding a garden plan to grow your own vegetables has so many rewards and one of them is simply that it’s a physical activity. This article will provide you with the basics of building a garden whether it be in the ground in your backyard or in containers on your balcony.

There are many things to think about when planning your garden. I like to call them the 4 W’s: Where, Why, What, When?

Where will you plant your garden? Do you have a spot in the yard that can accommodate your plants? Or will you have a container garden near the house or on a porch or balcony. Or simply a small bunch of herbs in a pot by a sunny window. No matter where you plant, it is necessary to prepare the area. In a yard, it may require you to clear the spot and prepare it for growth. Remove any old plants and turn over the soil making sure it is clean and ready for the new plants. If no yard is available, do you have pots/containers?

Why are you planting? Is this a new hobby? Is this a new family activity that will also provide a way to get a constant supply of fresh foods/vegetables instead of going to a store? As I mentioned previously, it a great way to stay active and get some exercise. Maybe you want to grow a Pizza Garden or a Strong and Healthy Garden?


What will you plant? If you are leaning towards growing a Pizza Garden – you will need to plant tomatoes, basil, maybe some oregano. If you just want to pick and choose everyone’s favorites for a Strong and Healthy Garden, think of some of the more popular fruits and vegetables for your family. This year, my family wanted lettuce, spinach, potatoes, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, peas, beans, peppers, summer squash, zucchini and garlic. This will all take a bit of space and quite a lot of work but I will plant gradually and hopefully just have to maintain and water during the summer months.

When to plant depends on your zone in the country? Check your local paper or garden stand to determine when the last frost in your area is and when things should go into the ground. Space it out and plant a little at a time so it is not too overwhelming.

Gardening can be a very fun and rewarding thing to do and it is the perfect activity to get the whole family involved. Planting things from seed or a small seedling and watching them grow into mature plants with edible fruits and vegetables is good for the mind, soul and body. Some of the benefits include exercise/fitness, fresh healthy food all summer and fall, self-esteem and self-satisfaction. Make sure to follow our BOKS Trainer Community on Facebook and check back weekly for information and helpful garden hints. This is a great place to ask questions, share your successes, and get feedback about ideas you may have for your garden. Get out there and Dig In!

HEATHER CHASE

BOKS Mentor, Team & Outreach

SHARING INSPIRATION IN UNUSUAL WAYS DURING THIS NEW “STAY HOME” TIME

If there is one thing I have found in this new “stay home” time, it’s that the way we are connecting with people has changed. I am feeling more connected to those who live far away as we experiment with virtual game nights and video conference calls. I am spending more quality time with the people in my home – more card games, time spent talking, family movie nights, and tons of walks around the neighborhood.

One of the things that is helping me to stay positive is seeing what other people are doing. I have been tagged in lots of fitness challenges on my social media channels, and I am seeing more and more chalk drawings on our walks with positive messages and rainbows reminding us to stay strong.

The BOKS team has come up with some ways that we can help inspire others to get moving through our own actions.  Here are some ideas:

Virtual:

  • Participate in virtual challenges to get moving. Push-ups, burpees…whatever! They are a fun distraction, help you to stay connected to friends and colleagues, and give you a little extra exercise throughout the day.
  • Test out some new apps and streaming services. Oodles of services are offering free trials, and this is a great time to test out different platforms to see what works for you. Be sure to share on social or with people in your network who might be looking for similar resources.
  • Live online workouts! BOKS is streaming live on Facebook with family-friendly workouts every day at 12pm EST. If that time doesn’t work, you can always “save” the Facebook videos or visit our YouTube channel.

  • “Face-to-Face” workouts. Do you typically go to the gym with a friend? Why not use a video app to workout with them live? My daughter has been using video chats to do her gymnastics with her friends while the gym is closed, and it’s a great way to stay connected and stay active.

Close to Home:

  • Include your family members. Get the kids to jump around with you while you are working out. Even if they are too young to follow along exactly, they will still get the benefits of movement, not to mention the awesome role modeling you are doing.
  • Dig out the bikes/jump ropes/rollerblades. As long as your community is still allowing you to head outside, take advantage. Dig out those badminton rackets, or rollerblades you haven’t been on in a decade. Just be sure to stay in your 6 foot bubble!
  • Sidewalk chalk – while you are out and about, bring some sidewalk chalk with you. You can leave positive messages for others, or respond to messages that people have left on their sidewalks.

Our challenge to you:

In order to share your love of fitness, and some fun ideas, create a sidewalk chalk challenge for people who walk by. Maybe create a little obstacle course with zig-zag lines and circles to follow, or perhaps a giant hopscotch…use your imagination! Our BOKS team has been hard at work creating ours, and we love looking out the window to see people walking by and making use of them.

Need some inspiration?  Check out the sidewalk challenges created by some of our team members across North America:

 

 

 

 

 

For more at-home resources, you can check out this page: https://www.bokskids./boks-at-home/ 

KIMBERLEY MEDEIROS

Director, BOKS Canada

20 WAYS TO STAY ACTIVE AT HOME WITH KIDS

Creating a new routine can be tricky for kids – especially when there is very little structure without school, extracurricular activities, or sports. For parents, it’s even more difficult to manage a job, your kids, find time to exercise (or even just breathe)! At BOKS, we know how much physical activity helps our mental health and the numerous benefits that come with moving your body on a daily basis.

Whether it’s a 5 minute burst activity break, a few deep breathes, or a full BOKS class, keeping kids moving regardless of the resources at hand has always been our priority.

We compiled a list of 20 ways you and your kids can incorporate more movement into your day so you can stay active in the comfort of your own home!

  1. Get up early and go for a walk (Actually … it can be anytime, but sometimes when you go early it is very peaceful and a great way to start the day)
  2. If you cannot go out, walk with the news or listening to your favorite podcast (on a treadmill or simply around the house).
  3. Take movement breaks every 30 minutes. One of our trainer’s used a PAUSE challenge to take movement breaks – Do 30 seconds of each movement: Planks – Alternating lunges – push Ups – Squats – Elbow to knees)
  4. Take study or work breaks to do a BOKS Burst.
  5. When going to a different floor, using the stairs, make a rule that you have to go up and down the stairs 2 times before going to your destination.
  6. Put a whiteboard somewhere visible in your home. Write a fun daily exercise on the board for all to do when they pass.
  7. Have a daily Dance Party – set a time, then choose a song and go all out!
  8. Play a board game and if there are dice or counting, do a fitness skill for the # that is rolled.
  9. If you are in need of a snack, move around while fueling up, pick a fitness skill you like.

  10. Play “What is missing?”. Any player who doesn’t find what is missing does 5 burpees! We’ll share directions on BOKS’ social. Find the instructions here.

  11. Have a scavenger hunt in your home. Make a list and do 5 jumping jacks for each item you retrieve. You can download our scavenger hunt list document here.
  12. Create a fun obstacle course in or outside your home.
  13. While watching your favorite show, do a set of exercises during the commercials.
  14. Use household items, play a game of indoor bowling (cups, water bottles, a ball – ball up some socks).
  15. While on a walk, pause on each corner to do calf raises, pause at mailboxes to do squats. Get creative!
  16. Set aside some unwinding yoga time, alone or with family.
  17. Turn up the music and vacuum/clean your home.
  18. Have a dirty laundry contest. Set a timer and see who can collect the dirtiest laundry in a certain time period.
  19. Play musical chores. Give everyone a chore, turn on the music, when the music goes off you have to switch chores. Continue until the chores are finished.
  20. Join BOKS at 12 pm EST for our Facebook LIVE workouts.

We encourage you to try a new activity every day. Make sure to share your pictures or tag us on social with your new and creative ways for staying active at home!

For more at-home resources, you can check out this page: https://activekids.org/boks-at-home/ 

What is Missing? The Game

YOU WILL NEED:

A table or tray
A variety of small toys or objects from your home
A piece of material or tea towel

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Get different objects from around your home and place them on a table.
  2. Get your child to take a look at what they can see – you can encourage them to pick up the objects and talk about them, then cover them with a tea towel or a piece of material.
  3. Ask your child to look away whilst you remove one of the items, then take away the cloth and ask them to tell you what’s missing.

  4. Any player who doesn’t find what is missing does 5 burpees (or any movements of your choice: squats, crunches, jumping jacks, etc.)!

Start with fewer items and build up as your child improves and gains confidence. For older children, you might want to choose items in the same theme or all the same color, to make it that a little bit trickier.

Start with fewer items and build up as your child improves and gains confidence. For older children, you might want to choose items in the same theme or all the same color, to make it that little bit trickier.

For more at-home games, you can visit: https://activekids.org/boks-at-home

Would you like to receive a weekly email of additional activities that are meant to increase your heart rate and give you a quick boost of energy with minimal materials and space required? Sign up for our BOKS Bursts and you’ll receive an email from us each Sunday with all the resources you need for the week.