Activities: Get Up and Go!
Get the kids moving with this classic "stop" and "go" game!
Submitted by
Andrey Ragozin
Andrey Ragozin
Haven't seen the inside of a gym in three years? Don't let that stop you from working up a sweat! Create these cool stop and go signs and get the whole family off their butts for some cardio fun!
- Sign holder:Mom, Dad, kid.
- Sprinter:Mom, Dad, kid.
- A sheet of green construction paper
- Old magazines:Ones you've finished reading, preferably, since your child is going to cut them up.
- Scissors
- A cereal box:Another good reason to finish your Cheerios, kids!
- White glue
- Popsicle stick or chopstick:To make a handle.
- Tape
- Room to roam:A yard, driveway, park, rec room and so on. You'll need about 10 feet of space.
Cut out the back and front of a cereal box.
Help Junior glue the construction paper onto the front of each of the cereal box pieces; one red, one green.
When the glue is dry, cut out a red pentagon (like a stop sign) and a green circle (like a green light.)
Invite your child to flip through a pile of magazines to find big title letters to spell out "stop" and "go," then help him cut them out and glue them onto the middle of the signs. If you're not ready to shred your Us Weekly, have him write the words in big letters.
When they're dry, press them flat by placing the signs under a copy of War and Peace or any other huge hardback book you keep on the shelf to impress your houseguests.
Tape a chopstick or popsicle stick to the back of the signs to create a handle.
Now, get off your booties and get moving!
Take turns holding the sign. The Sign Holder (let's call her the SH, shall we?) should stand about 10 feet in front of the Sprinter (S). When the SH holds up the go sign, S must run forward. When SH holds up the stop sign, S must stop dead in her tracks. Play until S is out of breath panting in a pile on the floor (i.e. about two minutes for you) and then switch!
Now try it again with hopping, leaping, crawling or dancing. Any fun movement that'll get your hearts racing!
- This is a fun game to play at a birthday party. Have your child make the signs beforehand. To make the game more competitive, call out players who fail to go or stop in a timely fashion! The last man standing wins!
- Looking for more fun ways to get active with your family? Check out Nick Jr.'s Kids Health for do-together activities for the whole family.
Submit!
