Make and do DIY costumes

Whilst the off-the-peg costumes are often the easiest option whilst doing the weekly grocery shop, a DIY costume can be a way to breathe some magic into some of the things you already have. When making something fit for a fright fest, we recommend keeping it safe and simple.

For any projects you take on, make sure your kids are involved in the process, not only can you supervise the use of scissors and glue but kids will be excited about being creative. Kids are more likely to get excited about wearing a costume if they have been part of the making and the brainstorm for making the costume.

You can use materials that you have knocking around in your recycling boxes such as milk cartons and toilet rolls. Root around in your wardrobe for any old clothes that could make a great costume. You can use their favourite Disney movies or books as a stimulus, retrofitting old shirts, coats and t-shirts into a range of characters. For example, a simple grey tracksuit and some foil can give you armour, add a bike helmet and some cardboard for a shield and sword, and you have a shiny-armoured valiant knight!

Visibility for safety

Lots of homes open their doors for trick or treaters now, maybe even decorating a door or a front garden with pumpkins and lights. If you’re considering going out trick or treating this year with your children, then road safety and visibility is of the utmost importance. How can you make sure your kids are having fun and staying where you can see them?

Firstly, kids need to be clear that when you go out trick or treating, they should be accompanied by an adult and that road safety rules still apply. That means you should stick to neighbouring streets and rules on crossing roads. They should wait for an adult and look both ways before crossing. Secondly, high-vis clothing or costumes with lights can help with visibility as the nights get darker.

Consider the rainbow and pot of gold costume which includes a simple white jogging sweatsuit or a onesie with a spray-painted rainbow on each arm. Use a balloon and a paper mâché technique to make your pot of gold and add a high vis sticker so it glows in the dark. Easy to put together and extra-visible at night!

Easy manoeuvrability

We think costumes for Halloween shouldn’t include anything that impedes a child’s natural movement. Keep away from costumes that are too tight, often because they’re old, too short or too revealing. You should expect children to be moving and grooving and we certainly will at our Kids Takeover, end-of-term Halloween Party!

If you settle on a DIY project, you should make sure there aren’t too many loose parts of the costume. If you have these consider using safety tethers to keep together gloves for example, or a costume without too many loose parts. A simple butterfly costume includes a tutu and tulle skirt with small butterflies made out of paper to decorate them. They can be tied together with string and tacked onto the skirt with little damage to the fabric.

Stay safe and active this Halloween with our tips for Halloween costumes!

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The TRX Training Club will be supporting ukactive in their endeavour to reach as many people as possible of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to promote being physically active. After 18 months of restrictions, the 10th anniversary will be celebrated with the theme of ‘Fitness Unites Us’.

There will be thousands of free and inclusive events available both in-person and virtually across the UK. Gyms, pools, leisure centres and other sports environments will be available to the nation during this period.

According to global exercise levels published in the Lancet, Britain ranks 46th out of 168 in global exercise levels, of which the Baroness herself determined to improve and thinks should be made a number one priority. Reflecting on activities levels in the UK, she hopes the nation will use the pandemic as a catalyst for improvement.

The Baroness added:
“The global pandemic has underlined how essential our fitness is, not only for our physical and mental health but also for our social and emotional wellbeing. I love National Fitness Day and this year offers the perfect opportunity to unite behind a collective ambition to become the most physically active nation in the world by 2030.”

Join us in counting down the days to National Fitness Day 2021!

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With the men’s side having reached England’s first final since 1966, all eyes will be on the women to continue our run of success. This year, the ones to watch include Chelsea’s forward Lauren James, who has infamously come up the ranks training with the under 13s boys’ team and Malta’s Haley Bugeja, the youngest player to score a hat-trick in a UEFA qualifier.

The run-up to the Euro provides lots of opportunities to get girls excited about football. Not just about watching from the sidelines but getting stuck in with a few games of their own. With history being made all the time, and some excellent female athletes, there’s little that isn’t on offer! With women’s football audiences increasing every year, setting the right tone for engagement in football is key.

Get proactive

Watching sport on TV can reassert the impression that sport is for men. Often, it’s where she might commonly see other males, (family or friends) watching sport together. It may not seem like the most inclusive of environments so, going to a match however small, can introduce her to the euphoria and camaraderie of a game that is simply unmatched. Kudos if you go to a women’s match too!

Take it one step further and go for a kickabout in the park. Playing some quick games and practicing using her hand-eye coordination can blast away some of the apprehension of physical activity. It’s a brilliant opportunity to show what girls are capable of and most importantly, that it’s ok to get things wrong. Playing with any male relatives including parents can make football seem far more inviting.

Lead by example

Sometimes girls will worry about muscling in on a sport they feel is mainly the domain of males. That’s where a good role model comes in handy. If you’re watching women’s football or sport in general, keep any comments made positive and strictly constructive. You could also use this time to ask her opinion on what’s happening and to give her some pointers using visual examples of skills. Perhaps afterwards, plan some time and go to your nearest park or AstroTurf to try out some of the things you’ve discussed.

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Things weren’t much better on the dance floor, with several celebs tackling an unfriendly style or having an off week. Yes, no one was dressed as Shrek or a murder pig, thank the Strictly gods, but we still got two groan-worthy nostalgia numbers, several that lost the actual dance entirely, and a beret. Hold me.

Other hits and misses:

• A sad farewell to Robert Webb, who left the series on health grounds, and Ugo was out this week with back problems. I’m not saying the disgruntled evictees are making voodoo dolls, but maybe someone should check in on Ginger Neil just in case. MISS
• Anton. Sigh. The Len babble is getting worse, and creepier (telling AJ she looks good? Just… no), and yet more references to himself. Stop putting on an act and just judge – you do actually have some useful expertise to share. Well, in ballroom anyway. MISS
• The VTs are so training-focused this year – I keep pinching myself, though I’ve probably just jinxed it, so prepare for a swathe of “I’m getting over my fear of fleckerls by skydiving!” ones. HIT
• The family prop points were really piling up this week. There won’t be a single nan left by Blackpool. MISS
• Jamie Biscuits was back AGAIN for the Ts and Cs. He’s like that guy who keeps returning to his old school, asking what the cool kids are listening to. MISS
• Also back: Westlife. Are they still a thing? Apparently so. Air grabs for life. HIT
• A funky group number from our pros, with Giovanni blissfully happy looking at his reflection in several mirrors, but was there any ballroom? There was not. MISS

Best in Show

• Best performance: Sara’s brilliant tango A heroine for strivers everywhere.
• Best costume: Motsi’s controversial jumper Who knew shoulder pads would break Craig’s spirit?
• Best move: World-class tango dancers solemnly dancing around an empty poolSomeone planned this, and filmed it, and put it on television.
• Best line: Craig telling Aljaž he could now understand “why Janette married you” Yes, it was his tango choreography. Nothing else. Nada. Zilch.

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If you have an organisation with specific needs such as volunteering or outdoor training, or maybe you want to promote your personal training services, there are specialised filters available.

To give you the most inclusive experience possible, images include children, young people, older people, and those with disabilities.

See here to sign up and access the images for free.

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According to government figures available in their yearly report, cycling has risen by nearly 50% in the last year compared to 2019/20. With increases in leisure cycling and less traffic, promoting active and sustainable travel will be the number one goal for their infrastructure upgrade plans. The report marks a year since they pledged 2 billion for active travel.

Now calling it the ‘summer of cycling and walking’, they have committed to constructing hundreds of miles of new high-quality cycle lanes, making improvements to the national cycle network and delivering schemes that encourage walking.

If cycling is to be a goal for the broader population, infrastructure upgrades, as well as safeguarding, are very much necessary. Emily Cherry, Executive Director of The Bikeability Trust added in her interview:

“The number one thing that is stopping both parents and children [cycling] is safer routes to school…road traffic…road danger, and the perception of safety.”

The plans will include changes to the Highway Code which will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, something that Charles Johnson is pleased to see:

“Supporting more people to cycle and walk as part of their everyday lives can transform our nation’s health and wellbeing. The report and the commitment of further government funding are an acknowledgement of this.”

To find out more about how these changes and government upgrade plans, see here.

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