The Heathmont Jets Junior Football Club is a pivotal support mechanism for around two hundred families during the football season and despite the fact that we cannot play, train or meet in person at the moment, the Club is committed to providing support and keeping connection during this period.
Outlined below are useful links and references to on-line and virtual experiences and activity ideas that will help you to keep practising your footy skills and to undertake other activities to help get you through this period of social distancing and isolation.
FOOTBALL RELATED ACTIVITIES & EXPERIENCE
Join hosts Caden and Austin in this awesome YouTube site where they team up with some of your favourite footy stars, grab the footy, have some fun with their mates at home and brush up on their skills along the way.
Join this Facebook page created by CoachAFL and explore the many fun skill drills and other activities that you can do at home which have been posted on this page – lots of video of simple drills and activities that kids can do at home to develop and improve their skills deas
This website provides a host of fun weekly activities that kids can engage with at home to build their skills and learn about the basics of Australian Rules Footy.
3AW’s Ross Stephenson is asking footy fans to rally together and share their love of footy by writing and sharing a letter about their love of footy. Love Letter to Footy is open to everyone and they have a special section for kids under 18.
Improve Your Fitness:
Even if you don’t own a home gym or substantial equipment, there are many ways to improve your fitness at home. Simple strength exercises like squats, push-ups and lunges don’t need any equipment. If you don’t have weights, improvise and use two tins of canned food as weights. If you need guidance there are online resources and fitness apps including:
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Fit For Footy – this app will show you how to be a better footy player. Fitter, healthier and with all the skills. It’s the tips from the elite that will make you great from the first bounce. This app is FREE in the App Store, Google Play Store and also available as a Web App!
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The Nike Training Club has free workouts as well as paid premium workouts and programs led by trainers.
GENERAL ACTIVITIES & EXPERIENCES:
Use your time at home as an opportunity to get out into the garden. My Smart Garden is a free program that will help you grow food, shelter your home from the sun and wind, create homes for local wildlife, use water wisely and recycle wastes.
Learn Some Dance Moves:
Try learning 12 basic moves of Bollywood dance, make like John Travolta circa 1977 with a few fundamental disco moves or, if Strictly Ballroom is more your speed, what better time to master the foxtrot, waltz, rumba or cha-cha.
Attend a Livestream Concert:
If you can't stand the idea of months at home without being able to get your live music fix, never fear. Global Citizen and the World Health Organisation’s #TogetherAtHome concert series invites you to attend intimate shows with favourite artists... from the comfort of your living room.
Catch Chris Martin singing Coldplay classics from his couch, sing along with Hozier or tune in for a live session with Neil Young. Keep up to date with the latest couch tour announcements, here or follow the #TogetherAtHome hashtag on social media.
Catch Up On Some Reading:
Didn't get time to stock up on new books to read during the lock-in? The internet has you covered. From free e-books to free book delivery, there's no excuse for not getting stuck into some serious page-turners. Search through hundreds of free titles on the Gutenburg e-book site or bag a bargain from online bookstore, Booktopia.
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Learn a Language:
Download a language app - There are numerous online language courses and many are free. Duolingo combines free learning with an online game, where you lose a ’life’ for every incorrect answer but score points and progress in the game for correct answers. It can help you learn to read, write, listen and speak your choice of more than 100 languages.
Do an online course - Spanish is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages – second only to Mandarin. 123teachme offers a host of tools to help you learn including audio quizzes and dialogue as well as fun Spanish games and activities, and resources for kids.
The BBC has free online French lessons with audio, games, vocabulary, grammar explanations and exercises, as well as links to French news, TV and radio sites.
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The Italian Experiment is a starting point for beginners teaching you how to count, ask questions including for directions, and even how to shop.
There are also numerous museums, art galleries, zoos, landmarks and organisations across the globe providing online and virtual experiences. This comprehensive list has plenty of options to keep you busy but some of the highlights include the following:
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Melbourne Symphony Orchestra:
The MSO is live streaming their performances on YouTube. Tune in to their YouTube channel to re-watch performances, and subscribe to be notified about upcoming streams.
National Gallery of Victoria:
The National Gallery of Victoria has gone all out to provide art lovers with online access to 90 per cent of the 75,000 works in its collection and is offering a virtual tour of the gallery. For kids it has opened an NGV kids’ resources portal and they can use online learning resources.
Zoos Victoria:
Forget productivity. You can waste hours watching the animals at Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Zoos Victoria has set up live stream cameras around the grounds so, instead of background TV noise, why not let the zoos’ gorgeous baby snow leopard cubs, lazy lions or hungry giraffes keep you company all day, every day. View the Animal House stream’s on the Zoos Victoria website.
Museum at Home:
Take a virtual tour of Melbourne Museum, become a little scientist from the comfort of your own home, or delve deeper into Victoria’s immigration history with Museum Victoria’s Museum at Home.
You can also check out the best of the Immigration Museum, Scienceworks and Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the Museums Victoria website.
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Melbourne Recital Centre:
Melbourne Recital Centre are taking a range of live musical performances online for you to enjoy in your own home. Tune into Live from Melbourne Recital Centre.
ACMI:
Join ACMI every Wednesday for a weekly movie night with their virtual Cinematheque. You can enjoy a selection of classic and contemporary films selected by ACMI’s Film Department and the Melbourne Cinematheque Committee.
SEA LIFE Melbourne:
Learn all about marine life and some of the beautiful underwater creatures at SEA LIFE Melbourne with their live streams.
The Louvre:
With a range of online tours, you can visit the museum’s exhibition rooms and galleries without leaving the comfort of your own couch.
The Smithsonian Institute:
Take a self-guided tour of the National Museum of Natural History with their guided tours.
Victoria and Albert Museum:
In London, the Victoria and Albert Museum allows you to search its collections, from jewellery to paintings.
Uffizi Museum:
The Uffizi museum and gallery in Florence, Italy, has themed online collections like The Easter Story with artworks on the Passion, death and resurrection of Christ.
Met Gallery in New York:
Get inside access to The Met Gallery through The Met 360° Project. The award-winning series of six short videos invites viewers around the world to virtually visit The Met’s art and architecture in a fresh, immersive way. Created using spherical 360° technology, the award-winning series of six short videos allows viewers to explore some of the museum’s iconic spaces. Experience the magic of standing in an empty gallery after-hours or floating high above The Met Cloisters for a bird’s-eye view.
Yosemite National Park:
Go on a virtual tour of California’s Yosemite National Park, one of America’s most popular natural environments.
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Some More Tips for Families
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For parents who need to work from home, take turns working and parenting.
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Set up video chat ‘play dates’ for your children with their friends
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Take time to prepare meals together, get creative, let the children take control!
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Perfect time to Marie Kondo your child’s bedroom, together.
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Make a short movie – stop motion using household items, a drama or comedy.
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Colouring in is very calming, frame your favourite piece!
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Dig out the guitar and commit to learning some tunes.
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No instrument? Apps for instruments are fun with plenty of online options.
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Brain training apps – puzzles and lateral thinking. Crack cryptic crosswords.
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Make regular phone calls or video calls to people you know.
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Watch past footy games together on FoxFooty or Channel 7
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If you have access to a garden, go out and pull out the weeds, mow and rake the lawn, trim the hedges, transfer plants, get dirty.
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Start planning a holiday. Do your research and create your perfect itinerary, where would you stay? What would you see in a day? Where will you eat lunch?
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Sort out all those old photos and videos.
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Reach out to others you know who might also be self-isolating.
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Share on social the ways that help you stay connected, they can inspire others too.
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Post highlights of your day to help spread the positive word.
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Write a letter to someone. It’s amazing the effect it can have.
(Note: Acknowledgement and thanks to Norwood Junior Football Club for some of the ideas and activities provided here)