by Dr. Ali

Happy November! When we think of November, we always think of good food and family fun! But with November usually comes a changing season and decreasing temperatures too! We understand how tricky it is to be a parent during these hard and strange times, and one concern we often hear, especially now, is “How do I keep my child moving now that the weather is getting colder and they can’t play outside?” 

Have no fear! There are plenty of great activities your child can do to keep moving if you have to stay indoors, even if you don’t have a ton of space to work with! Below is one activity that you can set up for your child that is festive, can be done completely inside on a chilly day, and will keep them working toward achieving a final goal.

1. Color The Turkey
   1. Find a turkey of your choice and print out a blank copy so your child can color it and make it their own! You can also try the dot to dot below! Attach it to another piece of paper or construction paper (you’ll see why later)
2. Feather Scavenger Hunt
   1. Place feathers all around your house, in both high and low places, under buckets or bins, and anywhere in between! This way, when they’re seeking out the hidden feathers, they are doing many squats to get to low feathers, and rising up on their tiptoes to get to high feathers. These are two motions that are great for strength building and balance.
3. Pin the Feathers on the Turkey
   1. Have your child stand next to a wall with one arm above their head touching the wall. Tape the turkey to the spot where their fingers touch the wall. Next attach tape or glue dots to a wider part of the feather. Tell your child to JUMP with the feather in their hand, to stick it onto their turkey, wherever they want to! They may need some help getting the feather to stick but the jumping is the important part here, so give them an extra sticky hand if they need it.
4. Do a turkey dance!
   1. Finally, with their beautiful turkey constructed, do a turkey dance (aka a chicken dance) and start marching your legs and flapping your wings just like a turkey!

We’d love to see your turkeys AND your turkey dances! If you would like to share, tag us or message us @kidpt on Instagram or @kidptnj on Facebook. Gobble Gobble!

This week’s workout theme is a Jumping Jacks Journey!

Try out these three moves and see if you can create a few more of your own!

Movement is always fun, but to build better control we need to keep our awareness on the quality of our movement. Can we move slow and fast? Can we talk at the same time so we know we’re taking deep breaths? Can we keep good timing and sequencing as we go and not just at the beginning?

With our awareness ready, let’s go!

First, let’s move both arms up overhead and back down to our legs. Clap at the top and bottom to make an auditory cue.

Repeat to the letters of the alphabet, count to 10 or 20, or try to match the beat to a metronome (check out free metronome apps).

Next, let’s jump with legs open. Jump slowly. Jump open and freeze. Jump close and freeze. Make each jump a separate movement.

Now its time to put arms and legs together! Keep it slow still. Jump open and arms up- FREEZE! Jump close and arms down- FREEZE!

Once this is mastered, its time to speed it up!

Once Jumping Jacks are mastered, mix it up! Scissor jumps, X jumps, and side ski jumps are great varieties!

Come back next week to try out our next Wednesday workout!

Have fun!

Dr. Joni

This week’s workout theme is Summer! School is (finally!!!) over for most or very very close for others. I know we are all definitely ready for summer! Try out these three moves and see if you can create a few more of your own!

Movement is always fun, but to build better control we need to keep our awareness on the quality of our movement. Can we move slow and fast? Can we talk at the same time so we know we’re taking deep breaths? Can we hold the positions with the body lined up strong and stable?

With our awareness ready, let’s go!

First, let’s get ready to jump into the pool! Squat down, look forward, and count slowly, 1, 2, 3. You can add in a jump in place, jump into a hoola hoop or jump over a pool noodle. The child can hold on to the back of a chair or a counter top to make it easier.

Next, let’s become an ocean wave! You can stay here or you can move back and forth between plank and this downward dog position. Take a deep breath and see how long you can say “Splaaaaaaaaash!”

You can modify this pose by putting your hands on a higher surface than the floor. Use the couch or a chair. As this becomes easier you can use a lower surface.

Finally, let’s become the sun. Jump your legs out and reach your arms up and out. Let the rays of the sun shoot from every part of your body. Say “aaaahhhhh…..” as you bask in the sun!

Repeat the routine 5 times for a fun and fit movement adventure!

Come back next week to try out our next Wednesday workout!

We love Dr. Suess at Kid PT!  We have two quotes on our walls that we love to look at every day!

Read Across America ‌is‌ ‌this‌ ‌week‌ ‌so‌ ‌I‌ ‌thought‌ ‌it‌ ‌would‌ ‌be‌ ‌fun‌ ‌to‌ ‌ask‌ ‌our‌ ‌staff‌ ‌to share their favorite Dr. Suess book!  ‌

Sue: Green Eggs & Ham! Her son used to laugh soooo much at this story!

Wendy:‌ Horton Hears a Who!  Wendy always loved the elephant! He was kind and gentle and willing to help the Whos!

Stephanie:‌ ‌1 Fish 2 Fish Red Fish Blue Fish!  “Its such a cute book and it makes me smile!”

Katie:‌ ‌ Oh the Places You’ll Go!  Katie has a lot of memories of her mom reading her this book when she was little.

My favorite Dr. Suess book is Marvin K. Mooney, Will you Please Go Now!  I loved this book as a kid and it makes me laugh now when I read it with my kids!

How are your kids celebrating Read Across America this week?‌  I know my kids have crazy sock day, bring an animal to school day, and rainbow day (I ever prepared ahead of time this year, which never happens!)

Share with us you and your children’s favorite Dr. Suess books. ‌ Let‌ ‌us‌ ‌know‌ ‌on‌ ‌

Facebook‌ @kidptnj ‌or‌ ‌Instagram‌ ‌@Kidpt!‌ 

February is heart month and here are some heart tips from us to you! Heart health is so important for all of us: from kids to adults alike. Our heart health affects all other systems in our body, including our ability to move our bodies. Keeping your heart healthy takes a good diet, regular exercise, and low stress levels. Here are some specific and easy tips to try!

• Take your dog for a walk or walk regularly: low impact cardiovascular exercise such as walking is great for your heart health as well as your mental health. Since it is low impact and low stress on your body you are highly unlikely to get injured. 
• Take the stairs: a classic tip to move your body more during the day and to easily get your heart pumping a little faster! 
• Eat dark leafy greens: dark leafy greens, such as broccoli and spinach, are great for your cardiovascular health since they are high in iron. Iron is a mineral needed for our red blood cells. 
• Sleep 8 hours every night: this is such a good tip for overall health but definitely helps heart health as it lowers stress levels and gives your body and mind time to rest and repair!
• De-stress through fun hobbies: whether it is reading, painting, or talking to a good friend, finding a solid and regular way to let go of stress is so important for heart health! 
• Smile and Laugh: smiling and laughing are great ways to release happy chemicals in our brains that combat stress and can in turn improve heart health! So next time your kid tells you a funny joke, thank them for keeping your heart healthy!

I hope you enjoyed these heart health tips! Don’t forget to wear red this month to support heart health month! What are some other ways you keep your heart healthy? We would love to know what you do!