When the governor announced in April that all schools would remain closed for an extension of the already-extended spring break, kids and families were home for a whole month with no clear timeline of going (or not going) back to school. Lots of parents and guardians had to make significant adjustments to their daily routines, and kids had to adjust right alongside them.
One thing I noticed with my child and adolescent clients was that many of them told me they loved the increase in physical activity opportunities!
I’d ask them what they liked about having to stay home and I heard things like:
“I get to run around in the backyard a lot.”
“I get to skateboard more.”
“I’ve been riding my bike around my block every morning.”
“My parents decided to get a trampoline, so I jump on it for at least an hour every day.”
“Me and my sister get to play basketball together.”
Sitting all day in classes is a hard thing to do. Young (and older) bodies NEED to move. I was thrilled to hear my clients were enjoying their movement time. I encouraged them to keep it up, finding ways to move around that they liked and expanding their repertoire by trying new things.
Another thing I noticed with these clients was also the appreciation for quiet recharge time.
With just as much excitement as they told me about their exercises, they told me how much they enjoyed reading, drawing, coloring, crafting, and listening to music.
They were finding something soothing in these creative, contemplative activities. Down time is where integration happens. When the body rests or is minimally active, the brain is busy folding in new information for growth.
Both action and rest are hugely important for development (at any age), affecting how we learn academically, physically, emotionally, and socially.
If your kids are looking for something new to add to their activity and rest times, I highly recommend GoNoodle and Lori Lite’s “Indigo Dreams” and “Indigo Ocean Dreams” guided meditations.
Both are free to access on YouTube, so get moving and slow down.
