Raising a child during a pandemic is a lot like your neighborhood punk show — it’s loud, fairly chaotic, and the one person you wish would just chill out a bit did something vile in the bathroom five seconds after you turned attention elsewhere. Punk Rock Aerobics, Hilken Mancini’s long-running DIY workout program that has broadcasted virtually on Tuesdays since the pandemic put us all under quarantine, has a possible solution for some controlled chaos: A punk rock exercise program for kids.
Launching Thursday (August 6) and continuing weekly via Zoom invite, Punk Rock Aerobics for Kids takes the same soundtrack and fitness intensity and makes it an all-ages show — well, kinda, it’s 8 years old and up.
“This is to help parents get a break with the kiddos,” Mancini tells Vanyaland, “and come fall I hope to get more kids on board, with it getting colder and more time[spent] inside and getting stir crazy!”
Mancini is no stranger to youth outreach, co-founding Girls Rock Campaign Boston, a volunteer-driven music and mentorship organization that offers year-round programming to girls and women of all ages. The Punk Rock Aerobics for Kids playlist is an extension of the original Punk Rock Aerobics, though with younger participants in mind. It features Ramones, X-Ray Spex, The Rezillos, Undertones, The Clash, The Stooges, Blondie, and others.
The virtual classes are 40 minutes in length, featuring simplified exercises geared towards kids. Mancini asks that all participants use an exercise mat and bring two bottles of water, to be used for hand weights. Registration is $12 per family, and more info can be found on the EventBrite registration page.
