Olympic Hot Spot Challenge For Ages 9-12

Children of this age have more developed skeletons and are more able to do bodyweight exercises. Clear out some space and create 'hot spot' stations with different activities for fun and variety. The children move from one to the next every 30 or 45 seconds.

• Push-ups (against the wall, on their knees, or full push-ups)
• Sit-ups
• Jump rope
• Step-ups (either with a 'step' or run up and down the stairs!)
• Shuttle run (Back and forth between two points)
• Circle jumps (small rings or hula hoops or tape marks)
• Jumping jacks
• Squats
• Balance on one leg
• Ball toss (with a partner)
• Ball twist (with a partner, stand back to back and twist side to side as you pass a ball left and take it right)

Challenges Include:

• Increasing time at each hot spot: so 30, 45, 60 seconds
• Increasing number of times you do the complete hot spot circuit, so 2, 3, 4 or 5 times
• Mixing up the hot spots or doing them in a different order
• Creating new hot spot activities of your own
• Adding new hot spot props like soup can weights

Encourage Your Children By:

• Letting them choose their own pump up music
• Having them draw or paint signs for each station
• Offering incentives: A penny, nickel or dime for each 'movement' minute, a favorite (healthy) dinner, prizes for completion or beating an old time.