Boston Children's fit kit What counts as exercise?

What you need:

• Any open space, inside or outside
• Device that plays music (mobile phone or tablet with speakers, CD player, or radio)
• Optional: Electronic dance game console

Group size: Any number of players

Set up:

• Make a music playlist or pick a dance game.
• Clear a space for dancing.
• Set up your music system.

How to play:

• Turn up the music and start dancing.
• Create a routine, have a dance battle, or practice a popular dance.
• Play an electronic dance game (like Just Dance or Dance Dance Revolution).

Turn up the intensity: Keep your feet moving at all times. Challenge yourself with fast-moving dance styles.

What you need:

• Any open space — yard, field, blacktop, or court (basketball or tennis)
• Cones or tape to mark boundaries

Group size: Three or more players

Set up: Mark boundaries with cones or tape or use the lines on a court or field.

How to play:

• Choose one player to be the tagger.
• The tagger picks one exercise (like high knees or jumping jacks) that the other players must do if tagged.
• The tagger signals the start of the game.
• All players run within the boundaries to stay away from the tagger.
• If a player is tagged, they must stop and perform the chosen exercise until a player who has not been tagged un-tags them.
• Switch out the player who is the tagger after a couple of minutes.
• The new tagger picks out a new exercise and play continues.

What you need:

• Any open space — backyard, field, blacktop, or court (basketball or tennis)
• Double Dutch or single jump ropes
• Optional: Cones or tape to mark boundaries

Follow the Leader (Double Dutch)

Group size: Four or more players

Set up: Two players (turners) face each other holding the ends of two Double Dutch jump ropes.

How to play:

• The turners twirl the ropes in big circles in opposite directions.
• Other players (jumpers) form one line to enter the ropes.
• With every turn of the rope, one player jumps in and one player jumps out. The idea is to follow the jumper in front of you without missing.
• If a jumper misses or clips the rope, they are eliminated. See who can last the longest.

Jump-rope relay race (single rope)

Group size: Four or more players

Set up: Put two lines of cones (or markers) some distance apart to mark point A and point B.

How to play:

• Divide into equal teams. Each team needs a jump rope.
• Choose a game leader.
• All players line up with their team behind the cones at point A.
• The leader signals the start of the jump-rope relay race.
• The first player in each line jumps rope while running and jumping to point B and back.
• When a player returns to point A, they hand the jump rope to the next player who continues the relay.
• The first team to have all players complete the jump-rope relay race is the winner.

Jump-rope challenges (single rope)

Group size: Any number of players.

Set up: No set up required.

How to play:

• Perform each of the following jump-rope variations and see how many jumps you can do in a minute. Try to complete two to three rounds.
• If there are other players, make it a game: Who can do all these jumps first?

Jump-rope variations

• Bunny hops: Hop with both feet together, doing one jump for every turn of the rope.
• Run it: Run or jog forward as you jump.
• Jump-rope jacks: Jump with feet together then feet apart.
• Crossover: Cross arms on every other jump.
• Flashbacks: Begin with the rope in front of you and swing the rope backward over your head.
• Quick feet: Jump as fast as you can.

What you need:

• Any open space — backyard, field, blacktop, or court (basketball or tennis)
• Cones or tape to mark point A and point B

Group size: Four or more players

Set up: Set up two lines of cones some distance apart to mark point A and point B. Choose a game leader.

How to play:

• Divide into two or more equal teams.
• All players line up with their team behind the cones at point A.
• The game leader assigns each player a creative way to travel to point B and back. For example:
  • 1st in line = skip
  • 2nd in line = hop
  • 3rd in line = crab walk
  • 4th in line = jog
  • 5th in line = sidestep
  • 6th in line = run
• The game leader signals the start of the relay race.
• The first player in each line begins to travel to point B.
• When a player returns to point A, they high-five the next player in line, who then continues the relay race.
• The first team to have all players complete the relay race wins.

Turn up the intensity: Race against the clock and try to complete the relay race in a certain amount of time.

What you need:

• Any open space — backyard, field, blacktop, or court (basketball, tennis)
• A random assortment of equipment (like balls, bean bags, jump ropes, hula hoops, pool noodles, or agility ladder)
• Cones or tape to mark boundaries
• Optional: Pen or pencil and paper to number each obstacle

Group size: Any number of players

Set up:

• Choose a theme and plan out the obstacles.
• Use the equipment available nearby to create an obstacle course.
• Assemble obstacles and place them some distance apart in an organized sequence.

How to play:

• All players line up at the first obstacle.
• One at a time, the players begin the obstacle course.
• A player must complete an obstacle before moving on to the next obstacle.
• The course is finished once each player completes all the obstacles.

For example:

• Fit kit Olympics
  • Bounce a tennis ball 20 times on a racket.
  • Dribble a basketball down a full court.
  • Shoot 10 free throws into a basketball hoop.
  • Kick a soccer ball into a net 10 times.
  • Weave a ball with a floor hockey stick through a series of cones.
• Fit kit Warrior Race
  • Jumping jacks or push-ups for 30 repetitions.
  • Walk across a balance beam or balance a bean bag on your head.
  • High knees through an agility ladder or series of hula hoops.
  • Line jumps or jump rope for 30 seconds.
  • Jump over or crawl under hurdles made of pool noodles across two chairs.

Turn up the intensity: Jog instead of walk to the next obstacle. Switch it up to a hop, skip, or jump.