With so many school sports being canceled amid the pandemic, parents are scrambling to prevent their kids from becoming distressed, lonely, or inactive.
Colton Bradford turned to Studio Grow Founder Lisa Kuecker to ask her for ideas on how to keep kids busy.
Pod Patrol
Kuecker says find people who are on the same wavelength, whose kids are into the same activities.
She set up swimming for her kids with two other families, where the kids could still be together but the children could stay in their own lanes.
Together But Apart
Of course, these days it's all about safety first. Kuecker says you can keep it easy by leaning into sports like golf, tennis, swimming, or running.
"We can go through on so many of these options where you are already going to be socially distanced just by the nature of the very sport that it is," she says.
More Class During COVID
Team Spirit
It is great to keep kids active, but how can parents and educators duplicate the spirit that comes along with playing on a real team?
"I think we, first of all, have to understand that while we can replicate it, it's not going to be the same," says Kuecker.
But, she says, it is a great time to build up your skills. "If you've been on a team ... how do you enhance yourself?
If you're focusing on basketball, are you doing more drills rather than playing more games? Are you going more toward individual performance on this, or are you concentrating on the mental side of this?"
COVID's Not The Only Risk
Kuecker says she is seeing an increased number of injuries.
If you are exercising or playing a sport at home right now, "Consider bringing in some type of athletic trainer, a strength and conditioning coach, or working with a studio that specializes in athletic training of children to ensure that you aren't doing everything safely for COVID and winding up with a significant injury that could last them the rest of their life," she says.
