After school activities – are we trying too hard!?

July 06, 2018

It was probably about a month ago as the school year kicked off again that I started to enquire with Mr 7 and Miss 9 as to “what they would like to do for after school activities this year?” Mr 7 was quite clear it was …football (English dad – so AKA Soccer), Gymnastics and or Cubs. Great done, he’s already maxed out a 2 options and in our tribe this is the MAXIMUM… so he was set.

Miss 9 on the other hand is a different little tribal member all together, she’s umm’d and ahh’d, to-ed an fro-ed, has sporadically considered a myriad of options thrown at her but fundamentally…she has no clear preference. Hmm…tricky…to push into any old pursuit…or to not push and just let her find her way? She is not shy, so its not anxiety about starting something new, its just that she’s quite happy to potter around home, ride her bike, play pretend schools with Miss 17 months (go figure?!) and climb our Jacaranda tree and harass the girl next door for some friendly banter. Anyway she started Musical Theatre – too many jazz hands not enough hard core acting. She’s just had surgery on her ears so we are about 6 weeks off swim squad, hated Jazz Dancing, gymnastics in my mind requires the mental, physical and emotional commitment of a Gold Medal Winning Athlete…the hours per week invested if you “enlist” fully, hooley dooley… ain’t got no time for that!

So…Miss 9…spare time…warmish afternoon…nearing homework time (of course)…she grabs her brother and decides that she needs to undertake some strenuous physical activity (Hallelujah….lets BURN that ENERGY!!!).

They set about creating a fitness inspired obstacle course/circuit in our back garden. GOLD. With very little effort, my grateful and happy input and some simple equipment, they happened upon a great way to not only entertain themselves (happily!) but be active, have fun, have healthy competition and fill in an afternoon beautifully!

Equipment used: – 2 x small chairs, 1 x soccer balls, 1 x tennis balls, 1 x trampoline, 10 small witches hats, 1 x washing baskets (for ball toss), 2 x brooms, 1 x skipping rope, 1 x scooter.

This was the circuit…step by step…

Please bare in mind that my husband and myself both have a background in Personal Training so Miss 9’s circuit inspo was fitness oriented – she’s also built like whippet and LOVES anything active (note to self when thinking about paid after school pursuits!!), but you could also just do more of an obstacle course, even using indoor space if you can cope?! I’ll give a link to some fresh ideas for this at the end of the Blog.

Miss 9’s Fun Fitness Circuit

  1. 10 x Tricep dips – off small chair.
  2. 10 star jumps
  3. 1 x body stretch/crawl – set 2 brooms sticks about one metre apart, they need to crab crawl body spread, with hands on one side of the broom and feet on the other side of the other broom.
  4. Tennis Ball toss into washing basket from 2m.
  5. 10 x knee grab jumps on the trampoline.
  6. Soccer ball weaving – in & out of witches hats, set about 1m apart.
  7. Run to driveway (contained inside our back garden) ride scooter to end of gates and back.
  8. Start over again.

My tribe LOVES music…they would watch Pop music video’s all day long if we let them. So to add to the fitness workout vibe I got the portable speaker and blue-toothed a Pop music playlist and BOOM…beats, sweaty bodies and loads of laughter…PERFECTION!

A free after school activity that needed no coercion, no ongoing financial commitment and self initiated! That’s a win.

Crafty Obstacle Course




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