Start with a 5-minute warm-up: jog in place, jumping jacks, arm circles, leg swings, dynamic stretching. Get blood flowing and muscles warm to prevent injury. Explain what strength training is: exercises that make muscles work hard, causing them to grow stronger over time. It's not the same as being a bodybuilder—kids should focus on bodyweight exercises and fun challenges, not heavy weights. Discuss benefits: stronger muscles make sports easier, daily activities (carrying backpack, climbing) simpler, bones healthier, and you feel more capable. Emphasize proper form over heavy weight or lots of reps: quality beats quantity. Demonstrate key exercises you'll do today: push-ups, squats, planks, bear crawls. Show correct form (straight back for push-ups, knees behind toes for squats). Let your child try each one to see how it feels before starting games.

Make strength training fun with games. Plank Challenge: who can hold a plank (forearms and toes, straight body like a board) the longest? Start at 20 seconds, try to improve. Push-Up Relay: set a timer for 2 minutes, alternate push-ups with a partner—how many total can you do together? Crab Walk Race: walk backward on hands and feet, belly up, race across the room. Bear Crawl Obstacle Course: crawl on hands and feet (like a bear) around furniture, under tables, through a course. Wall Sit Contest: backs against the wall, slide down like sitting in an invisible chair, thighs parallel to ground—who can hold longest? Squat Jump Competition: how many squat jumps (squat down, explode up into a jump) in 30 seconds? Superman Challenge: lie on belly, lift arms and legs off the ground, hold—feel your back muscles working. Make it competitive but supportive: cheer each other on, celebrate personal bests, laugh when muscles shake.

Now do focused strength exercises in sets. Choose 3-5 exercises and do 2-3 sets of each. Examples: Push-ups (chest, arms, core): do as many as you can with good form, rest, repeat 2-3 times. Squats (legs, glutes): 10-15 reps, rest, repeat. Planks (core): hold 20-30 seconds, rest, repeat. Lunges (legs): 10 per leg, rest, repeat. Superman holds (back): 15-20 seconds, rest, repeat. Burpees (full body): 5-10 reps, rest, repeat. Use a work-rest pattern: 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, or do all reps then rest 1 minute. Count reps together, encourage each other, and celebrate completing sets. If it's too easy, make it harder: slower push-ups, deeper squats, longer planks. If it's too hard, modify: fewer reps, knee push-ups, shorter holds. The key is progressive challenge—gradually increasing difficulty over time.

Finish with a 5-minute cool-down: walk slowly to bring heart rate down, then static stretching. Stretch all the muscles you worked: chest stretch (clasp hands behind back, pull arms back), shoulder stretch (pull one arm across chest), quad stretch (pull foot to butt while standing), hamstring stretch (sit and reach for toes), calf stretch (push against a wall, one leg back), back stretch (child's pose—sit on heels, reach arms forward on ground). Hold each stretch 20-30 seconds, breathe deeply, relax. Stretching while warm improves flexibility and reduces muscle soreness. Discuss how your muscles feel: tired? Shaky? That means they worked hard. Over the next day or two, muscles might feel sore—that's normal and means they're repairing and growing stronger. Drink water to stay hydrated. Celebrate completing a full strength workout!

Talk about strength training as an ongoing practice, not a one-time event. Ask: 'Did you have fun? Do you feel stronger? What was hardest? What do you want to get better at?' Set simple strength goals: 'I want to hold a plank for one minute' or 'I want to do 10 real push-ups' or 'I want to beat Dad at wall sits.' Write goals down. Plan to do strength workouts 2-3 times per week—that's enough for kids to build strength without overdoing it. Track progress: keep a log of reps, times, and personal bests. Celebrate improvements, even small ones. Explain that strength builds gradually over weeks and months, not overnight. Combine strength training with other activities (sports, running, biking) for overall fitness. Emphasize that strong bodies feel good, perform well, and stay healthy. Strength training is a gift you give yourself.