Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of PATHFINDER's TrailBlazer program! We're now a month into this. Could you have pictured what this was going to be like? We've done some on-the-fly-parenting before during Katrina and extended hurricane evacuations, but I don't think we were quite prepared for the slightly left of center routine that we all seem to be facing. I think we're through the continuum of grief and have arrived at Acceptance. It will be what it will be. Good enough parenting is good enough. :)

_________________

KIDS & FAMILY WORKOUTS OF THE WEEK

We have two great Roster-produced ideas this week that we wanted to share with everyone:

Ruck Easter Egg Hunt PATHFINDER Roster's Hope & Darin Dover coordinated the coolest Easter Egg Hunt for their kids this past weekend, and we wanted to showcase it! It's not a defined workout, but instead, a group of workout prompts for kids to find on their adventure. Her exercises included:

• 10 Ruck Swings
• 10 Calf Raises
• Bear Crawl
• Crab Walk
• 10 Ruck Curls
• 10 Ruck Squats
• 10 Push-Ups
• 10 Jumping Jacks
• 10 Ruck Presses
• and a family ruck

I-Spy Nature Ruck PATHFINDER Roster & Course Advisor Emily Baggett submitted this great I-Spy evening ruck idea we wanted to share. Again, this was less of a structured workout and more of an active adventure. The criteria she used were:

I Spy with my Nature Eyes...

• something red
• something white
• something orange
• something yellow
• something brown
• something pink
• something green
• something purple

_________________

YOUNGER KIDS (3-5) YOGA

Story Hive Yoga for Kids class is just adorable. Fun graphics, silly kids and a great instructor who clearly loves what she does makes this a great video. It's a solid, non-annoying addition to a calm day.

_________________

OLDER KIDS (6-12) YOGA

Always fans of Yoga with Adriene, we have yoga for kids in the park this week. We really loved this video this week. It was natural, fun and creative. I enjoyed it as much as our 10 yr old did.

_________________

FAMILY FUN ACTIVITY

Our Big Idea suggestion for this week is Building Fairy Houses or Troll Dens.

With playgrounds being closed, we have to get creative with our outdoor and trail time. Collecting sticks and bark, leaves and flowers to make a lean-to on a fairy house or troll den can be a fun, active and meditative experience for all kinds of kids (you included). There's no right or wrong way to build one - it just requires some imagination. 

Some smaller ideas:

• Mother May I - it’s been a long time since we’ve played this game. Our youngest had never even heard of it. There’s actually a whole wiki article on how to play! It’s an AWESOME backyard activity game that keeps everyone moving and laughing.

• 40 Classic Outdoor Games for Kids Wired compiled this incredible list of classic outdoor games. I got inspired after remembering ‘Mother May I’ and plan to keep this list in my Boredom Pocket when we need to be outside but the ideas on what to do aren’t flowing.

• Indoor Giggle Time - watch Josh Gad (Olaf from Frozen, but how any parent wouldn’t know that by now is beyond me) read bedtime stories on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/joshgad/

• Jump Rope is a forgotten skill that gives kids so much dexterity, coordination and patience. If they’re not quite ready to rotate their own wrists yet, or just want to concentrate on the jumping part, hold one of the handles and tie the other one to a chair!

_________________

MEDITATION CHILL ZONE

This week, we selected a guided meditation for children (but it's really nice enough for everyone) called Shine You Light, for anxiety and confidence. I think this one might be our new favorite.

_________________

KIDS & FAMILY WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

Super Kid Workout is this week's theme. It's all familiar exercises you have done before - just with fun-sized reps. Encourage your kids to come into your workout space and let them feel super-cool. Our kids always loved being able to do the exact workout we did (or close to it), and be in the garage around all the "stuff." 

_________________

YOUNGER KIDS (3-5) YOGA

Cosmic Kids is a great yoga channel for younger yogi's. This weeks adventure is through an imaginary Minecraft yoga world. It's a little on the long side, at :20 minutes, but it's a really engaging story line for the younger set.

_________________

OLDER KIDS (6-12) YOGA

We've got a :15 minute teens Yoga for Beginner's class onboard this week. "Teens" is a pretty generous word here - I'd say it's more for kids who aren't as comfortable with syrup-y language and just want the basics of yoga. Our 10-yr old enjoyed it this week and "didn't feel like it was for babies." So there you go. ;)

_________________

FAMILY FUN ACTIVITY

Our Big Idea suggestion for this week is Flashlight Tag. This can be done indoors, but it's so much more fun outdoors. I don't know about your family, but our bedtime routine has shrunk, and it's gotten just warm enough to stay out after dark for a fun run-around. If you don't know how to play: You pick "It", they close their eyes, and everyone else hides - behind a tree, the swingset...you get the idea. 'It' has the flashlight and in order to tag the person, they need to beam their flashlight on them and call out their name! It's more fun to keep your flashlight off and sneak up on them. 

Some smaller ideas:

• Gratitude Jar: now this isn't active. But right now, more than ever, we have to focus on the things we're thankful for. Teaching our kids to be grateful in the face of adversity is a powerful life lesson.
• Freeze Dance
• Wagon Ruck! Put on your ruck, and pull your kids in their wagon if they're small enough. If they're older, have them bike alongside you.
• Fitness Bingo I found this resource and thought it was really cool
• Sidewalk Chalk there are so many options to be physical just drawing in a large space - crawling, duck walking and squatting are just some of the movements we do without realizing it

_________________

MEDITATION CHILL ZONE

This week, we've selected a 15:00 Gratitude Tree Guided Meditation. It's so soothing, and its a great message for all of us to keep in mind. 

Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of PATHFINDER's TrailBlazer program! This week, we've started to settle into a routine in our house, and hopefully you've hit the same stride. It's not the ideal one, but it's a start. We just keep whispering "flexible...adaptive...flexible...adaptive" to ourselves.

We hope you and your family continue to stay healthy and distanced. We all have to have one another's backs.

_________________

KIDS & FAMILY WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

Zoo House Party We've got the whole zoo of exercises covered for some family fun (that's still going to be a good little add-on workout for you)!

_________________

YOUNGER KIDS (3-5) YOGA

This one is short and sweet at 4:50 - it's a good wake-up before their day starts or a quick activity for the kids while you toss a PB&J together at lunch (or dinner, no judgement! ;).

_________________

OLDER KIDS (6-12) YOGA

This week, we've selected "Yoga for the Classroom" from one of our favorites, Yoga with Adriene. This is another good, short video at 10:00 - we've used this one this week to reframe some attitudes prior to getting started with #CoronaHomeSchool and I'd say it worked pretty well. Any time you can start school with physical activity, the better that part of the day will go.

_________________

FAMILY FUN ACTIVITY

Our Big Idea suggestion for this week is Indoor/Outdoor Camping. This is obviously perfect for a weekend. We love camping as a family, and while we can't go camping right now, we have an awesome backyard for it. But even if you don't have a backyard, you can always have a camp-out in your main family space. Take a long hike outdoors before your most "camp out" dinner or make some trail mix or s'mores. If you're staying indoors (like we did) turn your TV to Star Trails: 90 Minutes Under the Night Sky and play cards or another game. Everyone can either sleep in their own spaces, or camp outside. We love the SkyViewLite app to find constellations.

Some smaller ideas:

• Balloon Catch with Cone - blow up a balloon and practice catching the balloon with the open mouth of an orange soccer cone, or a net, or even a basket
• Kick a soccer ball back and forth (or play catch, or basketball)
• Practice Hula Hooping - it might be harder than you remember!
• Wall Sit Challenge + Wall Push-up Challenge
• Family Bike Ride

_________________

MEDITATION CHILL ZONE

This week, we've selected a 5:00 meditation by Cosmic Kids, "Be the Pond." It's better for kids on the younger side.

We hope you've discovered some new ideas to bring some fun into your household for this week. See you next week!

 

Week 1

This week, we're all getting in the groove. We have to find our new comfort zones and family connection is a great place to start. Put your anxiety aside. No parent in our time has gone through anything quite like this, and it's ok to not know how to balance life right now.

_________________

KIDS & FAMILY WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

Week 1: Indoor Recess!

Our first Kids & Family WOD! Some notes: If your kids are 3-6, one time through the workout is sufficient. If your kids are 6+, 2-3 rounds is fine. Our WODS are meant to be fun, so no pressure to finish, just give them some awesome encouragement to DF(lippin')Q if they start to complain. Everyone always feels better after a fun workout!

_________________

YOUNGER KIDS (3-5) YOGA

As a former preschool teacher, the yoga videos we have curated for your kids have all been used, or would have been appropriate to use, in a classroom setting. I've always found that while some kids are into it right away, others take a little bit more time before they relax into the idea. There's never any pressure to complete anything, and they may wind up being interested in the older kids videos. It's a "try-it-you-might-like-it" situation.

_________________

OLDER KIDS (6-12) YOGA

This is a great Beginner Yoga video for older kids. Our 10 yr old really liked it! Again, encourage your child to stick with it. Older kids may feel self-conscious about trying something new, so it's best to do it with them. The benefit for a child from a quiet activity like this, when done with a parent or someone who loves them, cannot be understated. A peaceful mind is priceless right now.

_________________

FAMILY FUN ACTIVITY

There are so many amazing activities you can do with your kids of almost any age. But who has the time to compile them all right now, while we're busy working from the living room? That's why we're here. Each week, we'll make one BIG IDEA suggestion, and a couple of smaller bullet point ideas if you don't have the brain space. But we encourage you to get inspired, put the stress on the back burner, and be as in the moment as much as you can manage. There's no such thing as perfection right now. It's just being good-enough, whatever that happens to look like for your family.

Our BIG IDEA this week...Family Ruck Scavenger Hunt. If you're still able to go outside, head out to a wooded trail with a brown paper bag. For younger kids, you can grab a sheet of paper, staple it to the outside of the bag and draw (or write) things they can find - sticks, a rock, a red leaf...etc. For older kids, it can be a photo scavenger hunt. Text them a list of some items and see how many you can find. You can have a friendly competition against one another, or if there's more than two in your family situation, do it as a group. 

If outdoors is off limits to your family right now, an Indoor Scavenger Hunt works just as well. After each find, 15 jumping jacks!

Some Smaller Ideas:

• Crab Walk Relay Race
• Hopscotch - you can do this with tape inside or chalk outside
• Plank wall walks - arms in high plank, grippy socks or shoes, walk up and down that wall!
• Practice Skipping (especially ages 6 and under!)
• If the playground is empty, climb backwards up the slide. Its ok, I promise! It's a great skill we have to "teach out" for general playground safety, but if the playground is empty, have at it.
• Hang - from monkey bars upside down or right side up for hand strength (clean them first! COVID-19 can live on metal for far longer than you might want to believe); from your hands; upside down off the couch (great for their vestibular system); downward dog counts!; from anything SAFE and age-appropriate your child can hang from, even for a few minutes.

_________________

MEDITATION CHILL ZONE

I'm a big believer in meditation. (Even for a ruck training program like PATHFINDER. And even for adults.) Meditation allows your brain a quiet place to process, progress, and let go of random irritations. Quieting your mind is more than a fluffy phrase - it's the real deal. If your kid has never tried meditation before, they might think it's weird. They may wiggle and giggle and generally seem disconnected. Encourage them to give it a try, and do it with them. Over time, especially given all of our current circumstances, guided meditation can give your brain a much needed hard-reboot from the real world and the mounting stresses. I'll bet you get something out of it.

Hope to see you back next week for Week 2! Drop me a line at amy@pathfinderrucktraining.com with any questions, suggestions or comments. I'm excited to hear what you have to think!

See you soon!

-- Amy : Director of Programming, PATHFINDER Ruck Training