Get Up and Go!

Kids can join the Teletubbies in a special day of exercise
By Abigail Esten and Mary Eileen O'Connor

Thousands of preschoolers nationwide will "Get Up and Go!" with Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po during the special Go! Exercise with the Teletubbies, airing Wednesday, May 22 at 10 a.m. on WHYY TV12.

The special marks the second annual Teletubbies day of exercise. Created in response to the concerns of national health organizations, caregivers and parents about childhood obesity in the United States and the lack of physical activity in the lives of children today, the Teletubbies Get Up and Go! Exercise Day was designed to demonstrate to children and their guardians the importance of making exercise a part of the daily routine.

"The Teletubbies have become extended members of children's families, so it's natural that they would promote health and fitness -- that starts early and may last a lifetime," says Anne Wood, the co-creator of Teletubbies.

"This initiative is more important than ever, as childhood obesity has recently skyrocketed; one out of four children today is considered obese, a number that has doubled over the past 20 years." Below are some activities that you can do with your child on Wednesday, May 22.

Get Moving!
Move different body parts to reinforce names of body parts and names of movements. For example, curl (fingers, toes, arms and body!), bend, stretch, make a muscle, wave and shake.

Jump:
Little and big jumps
Jump with different arm movements
Jump forward and backwards
Jump and turn

March:
Big steps, little steps
Sing a marching song while you march
Pretend to pound drums or blow horns

Have children act out parts of a story:
Choose stories with active characters, or create movements for the children to do whenever they hear a character's name (i.e. every time a bird is mentioned have the children jump up and wave their arms, etc.).