We posted an earlier blog to remind people that if you don’t have time to get in a 30-minute workout, you can still meet the current health guidelines by doing three, 10-minute mini-sessions.  We want to share with you a program that can help you get your kids (and you!) moving – and learning – in short bouts. 

Take 10! Program

The Take 10! program was developed with elementary teachers in mind.  The idea was hatched because despite the many health benefits of physical activity, many schools had cut physical education classes.  “There is not enough time” or “We have to cut the budget somewhere, and PE is not academically essential” are reasons often given for making the cuts.  So the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) developed Take 10! to:

• Combat childhood obesity
• Help children meet the recommended daily physical activity requirements
• Reduce sedentary time during the school day
• Help children develop lifetime healthy habits

The Take 10! activities are safe and age-appropriate games and tasks that get kids moving for 10 minutes.  They are great for teachers because they don’t require a lot of prep time and they integrate academic learning objectives (math, social studies, science) into the activity.  Click here to see a Take 10! activity that teaches counting while using an imaginary jump rope. 

But Take 10! can also be used by parents, grandparents, and other caregivers  as a way to help get their kids moving and burning calories.  It’s perfect for bad weather weekends, school breaks, and summer vacations. 

Take 10! Kits

There are six age-specific kits (kindergarten through grade 5).  Each kit provides a detailed manual that includes over 35 different activity cards to guide you in doing the activities.  There are also worksheets that the child can complete to reinforce the learning objective for the activity.  And you can log the activities you do over time with the tracking poster.   Here’s a link to sample materials for different age groups.  Check out the videos here to see Take 10! in action.

With the holidays coming, the $82 you spend on a Take 10! kit is about the same as you would spend for a Nintendo Wii Fit program.  But you get over 35 activities and worksheets that that will also help your child learn important concepts in science, math, health, language arts, and social studies.  That’s something the Wii Fit can’t do.

Check out the Take 10! program and let us know what you think.