FITDECK JR. Fitness Fun, Product Review by Carol Goodrow FitDeck Jr. is an exercise kit for kids. It comes with 50 cards, 70+ game ideas, and is pure fitness fun. IN THE CLASSROOM We tried out FitDeck Jr. in our classroom on one of our Friday running days. It was too icy outdoors to go for our usual run so we exercised in our room. First we pushed all the desks to the center of the room so that we had a square- aisle- "track" around the perimeter of the room. We designated one side for the Fitdeck activities and the other 3 for easy (very easy - we were in a classroom!) jogging. Then we took turns. EVERY OTHER LAP We modified the "Every Other Lap" game which comes with the program. Each child would pick a card, perform the activity according to the "beginner" level criteria, then jog the rest of the lap. THE EXERCISES The kids had a lot of fun. They were quick to announce if the activity was easy, hard, or something they learned in gymnastics, P.E., or Tae Kwon Do. For me (I tried a few activities with the kids) the jogging part was a relief. While the makers of FitDeck Jr. bill the game as "Simple, Easy, and Fun" don't be fooled. The activities are fun, but they are challenging. They include exercises for lower body, middle body, upper body and full body. THE KIDS I learned a lot about the coordination of my schoolchildren from the way they adapted to the activities. I was quick to suggest that Bobby modify the "tripods" (one-handed push-ups) only to find out that he COULD do one-handed push-ups and MANY of them. He learned them at Tae Kwon Do! I noticed the child who could not alternate arms and legs (move right arm with left leg, etc.). I marveled at the way the children attacked the activities. They allowed themselves to be challenged and would have played all day, had I let them. And they were good sports. If something was new, awkward, or difficult, they gave it their best shot. The activities were fun and creative. Since we made our game luck-of-the-draw there were some "AWs" when someone else drew a cool card, so we decided to do a favorite activity together. The kids all wanted to try the "gorilla walk" so we (kids and teacher) got into gorilla position and ended our game with a gorilla-lap. What a blast! Phil Black, FitDeck Jr. inventor, has put together a great activity pack for kids. It's organized, clear, and versatile. Each card has just the right mix of illustration and directions. The game ideas are creative and varied. There are other extras that come with the progam in simplified form such as stretching directions and more. To find out more or to purchase this program for your classroom, club, team, or home, please visit fitdeck.com. EMAIL rwedit@rodale.com Privacy Policy of Kids Running