Warm-up with readings of The Foot Book, Hop on Pop, and If I Ran the Circus to flex those brain muscles and find inspiration to get moving! Then pair up with your young reader to tackle this Seuss-inspired workout.
Start the workout with Up Feet, Down Feet exercises inspired by The Foot Book.
- Walk your feet up a flight of stairs and then walk them back down!
- Stand tall with feet hip-distance apart and arms resting freely at your sides. Slowly raise your left knee upward until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause and then lower your knee. Continue repetitions with “left foot, left foot, right foot, right.”
Continue with Hop on Pop Never Stop Hopping exercises.
- Face your workout partner. Hop on one foot eight times, then switch to the other foot. Once you are comfortable with your hops, add some pop by clapping your hands. Once you get really good, you can high-five your partner as you hop. Try to do this for thirty seconds, rest, and try again.
- Squat down, then jump up while thrusting your arms forward and yelling “POP!”
Finish the workout with Jott’s Juggling Basics from the Juggling Jott of If I Ran the Circus.
You’ll need tennis balls for these exercises.
- Take one ball and throw it up in the air, then catch it with the same hand. Repeat five times, then switch hands. Next, throw the ball up with one hand and catch it with the other hand. Repeat five times. As you get comfortable throwing with one hand and catching with the other, add a clap—then two claps—in between throwing and catching.
- When you are ready to advance to two balls, start with a ball in each hand. Throw one ball up in an arc. Before it starts to fall back down, throw the other ball up. Catch the first ball, then catch the second ball, and start again. Repeat!
Dr. Seuss is not a medical doctor. Remember that you should always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.