🎬 Week 3: ‘Move Your Body’ Challenge Week (GJC Summer Camp)

School is out! And your child’s daily recess is also on break. This week’s learning activities aim to help little ones embrace the joy of movement through play by enacting their own routine of recess each day.

Allow this week to be a week of exploration! When children bring awareness to their bodies and feel confident moving them in ways that feel like fun and not work, children will come to naturally form a habit of staying active. Whether through a fun scavenger hunt activity, dribbling a basketball, or just taking a walk outside, children will embark on a challenge for Week 3 to move their body each day!

The following selections include both interactive videos, histories, and movies to give ideas and bring inspiration to different forms of movement activities.

Preparation

Choose Activities to Perform Daily for ‘Move Your Body’ Challenge Week

To begin, first skip on over to the activities list in order to review activities with your children. Plan out the week of daily activities based on what most interests your child to work on each day. Some activities will be very simple like walking outside and getting some sunshine, while others will involve sports and games.

Choose at least 2 videos/movies to view based on your child’s interests. Select at least 2 activities or more to perform with your children for each day of challenge week.

Use the #GJCSummerCamp tag to participate with the summer camp community and also to see what other parents and teachers are sharing! Parents and teachers can post videos or shorts of children working through activities, photos of their completed projects or art, or even share thoughts through articles and posts of children’s experiences as they work through the different activities each week.

Viewing List

Fun Yoga for Kids (43m)

We are excited to bring you an interactive yoga video that is fun and educational and will help kids feel happy, healthy and calm – and have lots of fun doing it! Get moving with Fun Yoga For Kids!

Game On: The History Of Basketball (45m)

Sportscasters Bill “Foul Play” O'Connell & giraffe co-anchor Tony “Leftfield” Stromboli dive into basketball's history.

Hope Dances (1h 29m)

A movie that encourages self confidence and perseverance for young minds, carrying the message that dreams can come true with focus and passion. In “Hope Dances”, a young ballerina has a chance to secure the lead role in The Nutcracker, but must choose between her love of dance and her commitment to school sports.

Activity List

1. Embarking on a Journey
Visit a local park or nature trail: Going for a walk to explore in a nearby park or nature trail is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise. Kids can satisfy their natural curiosity to explore their natural surroundings and burn some energy at the same time.

2. Hopscotch
An all-time favorite across generations, the classic game of hopscotch is not only fun, but can also help children improve body control and build strength, balance, and eye/hand coordination. The best part is that all you need is some chalk and a rock to play!

3. “Fun Yoga for Kids”
Doing yoga or stretching exercises are great ways for children to improve flexibility and balance. They are also incredible ways to bring awareness to the present moment and improve observation skills, which can bring long-term benefits to children’s ability to concentrate and focus on tasks in school and at home. Have children get into something comfy for stretching, and put on the “Fun Yoga for Kids instructional video.

4. Timed Scavenger Hunt
Organize a scavenger hunt for your children. The hunt need not be extravagant or complicated to be deeply exciting for children. Simply make a list of items in your home, or in your yard, and provide this list to children, set off a timer, and set them loose! The first child (or team) to return to you once they have found all the items on their list wins! If you have only one child participating, you can choose a timeframe that feels reasonable to how many items your child is searching for, while also being a little challenging, so they feel encouraged to move quickly. Depending on what kind of items you send children hunting for, there could be climbing, crawling, or running involved; all of which are great activities for kids to have fun, use their whole body, and burn energy.

5. Jump Rope
Hop, skip, and double-dutch your kids right into fitness fun. Jumping rope uses a lot of different muscles, and is actually more physically demanding than it looks. If you want to add a little extra fun for your kids while they jump, play some fun songs from the Music Travel Kids channel while they jump!

6. Dance Party
Who doesn’t love a dance party?! It’s time for children to wiggle about and show their best moves on the dance floor! Set a dance timer for 30 minutes or make it a contest to see who can dance the longest! Put on your child’s favorite songs or explore great finds on the kids music channels DoReMi Kids Songs and Music Travel Kids to get started.

7. “Game On: The History Of Basketball”
Head out to the park or your own backyard and shoot some hoops with your child! Watch the basketball film with your child to gain inspiration.

8. Activity Sheets
Here are this week's fun activity sheets!