Finally, a game!

Mollie Protzman interviewed me for her blog post Energizing Kids with Exercise Games that focused on different games to get kids active. Here is another idea when being outside isn't accessible, or even if you're just sitting in the living room for an evening.

Does it seem like your toddler spends more time falling on the ground rather than walking? Kids can be experts at falling down. It doesn't matter if they are playing their favorite sport or just walking across the room, your kids learn about the wonders of gravity. Movement is a way children interact with their environment to discover and learn from it. Regardless of cultural or ability level, movement is essential for all children to engage in active play.

In this blog we will be talking about how you can integrate music into movement. If there is one thing I have noticed either as a little boy myself or when I teach, it is that students/kids move BETTER with music. Kids naturally will follow a beat and move along with it. Really, all you have to do is move with them, and they like it even more!

With all exercise and activity, taking the necessary precautions before starting is always a good idea. Learning how to stretch properly will help improve movement and avoid injury! It's also a fun way to get kids active.

Now, when I say locomotor, this isn't about a train. Rather it's about the locomotion of kids, and how they should know how to move by the time they reach 3rd grade. Can you even imagine how difficult it would be for you to be active as adults if you didn't learn these basic skills! Don't take them for granted!

This blog covers the 3 main muscle groups: Core, Legs and Arms. These are muscle groups you should have your kids focus on when doing exercises. With exercise and being active, it's all about balance with being healthy!

In Physical Education, we are looking for a few things:

• Good cardiorespiratory endurance
• Building on upper body, core muscular strength/endurance

Salutations!

My name is Andrew Mantzaris. I am a local Physical Educator for elementary students, sports coach, and life-time mover. My job entails getting children and young adults moving. I don't just want kids to get involved in sports or going outside, but to really enjoy and be passionate about being active as they grow up. Whether it's with friends, family or classmates, the limits of having fun while being active are endless.

These blogs are a resource for you as the adult to work with the kiddos when they don't have the opportunity to go to P.E. at school or if you have some extra time at home.

This spring I enrolled Bastian in infant swimming lessons. I was so anxious to put him in his little swim trunks and play around with him in the water. But a part of me was nervous he wouldn't like the water, or at least wouldn't like a lesson. But I knew for his safety and my piece-of-mind, he would need to learn how to swim. 

For many families, potty training can be a whirlwind adventure filled with messy spills, tears and even fears-for both the child and parent. When beginning this process parents must ask themselves two important questions: Is my child ready and am I ready?

It is so important to also let your child explore new foods. To help you understand why this is important consider this scenario. Imagine you are blindfolded and told that you are going to be fed some food. No one tells you what it is. "You will like it. It is yummy," they tell you. What would you want to do before eating the food? Probably smell it. Maybe even touch it to see if you can learn any more about it. The same is true for your baby. Eating new foods is a whole experience for a baby just like it can be for us as adults.

I remember the day we first gave Bastian solid food. My husband and I were so excited! We had been putting Bastian in his highchair for a little over a month during meal-time to get him interested in what goes on at the table. We waited to try solids with Bastian until he was 6 months old. I decided that introducing vegetables first would be the best option for us. I made my own sweet potato puree and was sure he would just love it. We were so excited to see him gobble down his first bites of real human food…but after one bite he was done. We were so sad! I thought to myself, 'he will never eat!' 'I have a picky eater!'

Every day errands and chores are a great time to involve your child and help him or her learn and grow. Parents and caregivers often think they need to use computer software, videos, or workbooks for "learning" but actually, young children learn from every day experiences and learn best when they are involved in hands on activities. Plus, they love to help and be part of what you are doing. Here are some ideas to help you get started with suggestions for different ages of children.

Do you have a wiggly baby or toddler who you have to wrestle during diaper changes? Diapering and dressing times can be a struggle as babies become more mobile and toddlers become more interested in exploring and playing than being still. Here are some quick tips to make diaper time enjoyable and a time for learning.

Spring is the time of year for cleaning. Your young children can help with cleaning tasks, especially when they are members of a team that works together. Such activities help children focus on a task, talk about what needs to be done and follow through until completion. These experiences can promote a sense of competence and show children that everyone benefits from teamwork.

New guidelines now suggest screening 9 - 11 year old children for cholesterol. This new recommendation will help identify those children at risk for cardiovascular disease - before it progresses.