60 minutes of activity is a lot to fit in for busy families. Here are a few guidelines, as well as some ideas for activities that your family can do together. Please let us know what your family is doing to keep the activity going by returning the form in this packet to Mr. Ridley. 

The PALA program guidelines state that a child must do 60 minutes a day, for five days a week, for a six-week period to win an individual award. This activity must be written down on an Activity Log, which is included in this packet, and signed by the participating student as well as a parent. Students are strongly encouraged to use appropriate safety equipment and to be sure they are properly supervised.

The minutes do not have to be consecutive. If your child has a 30 minute dance lesson, then plays tag for 20 minutes before dinner with some friends, then walks the dog for 10 minutes after dinner, that’s 60 minutes. Unfortunately, the minutes cannot be rolled over if the activity exceeds an hour. A doubleheader baseball game that lasts five hours does not mean the activity minutes have been met for that week.

Activities can be anything that uses large muscle groups. As long as they are not sitting in front of the television or computer, it probably counts as an activity that can be used in the program guidelines. Also, see the article included in this packet for some creative ways to get active.

Here are a few ideas:

Raking Leaves Weeding a Garden Painting a fence

Walking in the grocery store Soccer* Playing in snow

Vacuuming Mopping Dusting

Playing Tag Hide –n- Seek Climbing trees

Swimming* Swim lessons Dance lessons

Horseback riding Gymnastics* Ice skating*

Basketball* Cheerleading* Running

Volleyball* Kickball Football*

Baseball* Softball* Tee ball*

Corn hole Horseshoes Shuffleboard

Hopscotch Jumping Rope Dancing

Exercise tapes/DVD Playing at the park Riding bikes

Roller skating Skateboarding Riding scooters

Walking the mall (as you shop) Rock Climbing Tennis

Badminton Juggling Walk the dog

Rollerblading Martial arts class Bowling

Miniature golf Golf Hockey

Practice and competitions can count toward activity time if your child is on a team.

More ideas can be found on the President's Challenge Website: www.presidentschallenge.org 

Even More Ideas:

Here are some ideas (include your family or two or more friends):Balloon Toss:

Hey kids, try this safe and fun game in your den or living room. Ask Mom to purchase a pack of 12 large balloons. Blow up the balloons and gather them in the middle of the room. Play your favorite song and try to keep one balloon up in the air for the entire song. IF you can keep one balloon in the air for the entire time, try keeping two, then three, then more balloons in the air for the whole song! Balloon Pop:

Here's another safe and fun game to also try in your den or living room. Again ask Mom to purchase a pack of 12 large balloons. Print out the bulleted list below, cut out each activity, fold and put inside each balloon. Then blow up the balloons and gather them in the middle of the room as above. Play your favorite song and try to keep all 12 balloons up in the air for the entire song. When the song ends, grab the nearest balloon, pop it and do the activity on the paper inside the balloon. Keep playing until all of the balloons have been popped.

Do 20 jumping jacks.

Do your favorite dance for three minutes.

Karaoke to your favorite song.

Do 10 wall push-ups.

Do 30 crunches.

Do 20 hot seats (squats)

Say the Pledge of Allegiance while marching in place.

Recite the alphabet backward while running in place. (You win a Wise Mind prize! Bring this slip to your teacher at school.)

Do the bunny hop to your favorite song.

Spell your first and last name with your body.

Shoot 20 imaginary hoops.

Balloon Battle:

Here's another game involving balloons (Mom will be busy buying balloons this week!) Blow up the balloons and gather them in the middle of the room. Stretch out a jump rope to create a boundary line. Place the 12 balloons on the floor along the boundary line. Split up into two groups and stand on either side of the boundary line. Play your favorite song and push the balloons to the other side of the line with only your hands (kicking is not allowed in this game). When the song ends, everyone freezes in place and the side with the fewest balloons wins!Physical Activity Center (PAC) Search:

Ask Mom and Dad to help you create your own PAC in your den, living room or bedroom. Find a large plastic clothes hamper or tub and put it in the corner. Start a timer and search the house for items you can use to play indoors. You have 10 minutes. When the timer buzzes, go to your own personal PAC and do your favorite activity with Mom and Dad. Here are some ideas below:

Costumes, dress-up clothes, and accessories like crowns, wands, toy shields, armor, masks, vests, belts, shoes, hats, grass skirts, scarves, play jewelry, wigs and so forth.

Boom box with various dance music tapes or CDs, microphone, drums, toy musical instruments, stage curtains, puppets, marionettes, magician kits, various stuffed animals

Batons, small flags, pom poms, streamers, hula hoops, foam mats and wedges, indoor tents, large building blocks or cardboard boxes, bean bag chairs, soft pillows, old blankets, sheets, hop scotch mat, action games like Twister, Charades, Simon Says, Follow the Leader,

Paddle balls, indoor ball toss games, bean bags, juggling balls, hacky sack

Kid-safe dart boards or other target games, indoor basketball hoop and soft foam balls

Jump ropes, skip-it, small kid-safe hand weights, exercise stretch bands, small pull/push toys or plastic wagons, toy household cleaning items such as brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners, feather dusters, toy kitchen, restaurant and accessories, and indoor riding toys.

Fear Factor Fit Play:Hey kids, try this fit version of the game, Fear Factor. There are 5 different challenges listed below. YOU ONLY HAVE 5 MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE GAME! If you run out of time, you’ll have to repeat the challenge. When you finish all 5 challenges in 5 minutes, it’s time for your mom, dad, and brother, sister or friends to have a turn. See who gets the fastest time and they will be the FIT FEAR FACTOR WINNER for the day! Best two out of three, anyone?

START THE CLOCK…

1. Run to your room and try on 5 pairs of shoes in your closet and then run back to the computer.

2. Run to the back door, open it, close it, lock it and unlock it and then run back to the computer.

3. Run to your bedroom and pick up 3 pieces of dirty clothes and take them to the laundry room. Then run back to the computer.

4. Run to kitchen, unload 5 items from the dishwasher or wash 5 dishes in the sink and run back to the computer.

5. Go to the den or living room, do 5 crunches, 5 wall push-ups, 5 hot seats (squats) and 5 jumping jacks and then run back to the computer.

STOP THE CLOCK (record or remember your time)...

IF YOUR TIME IS LONGER THAN 5 MINUTES, REPEAT!