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Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines and Implementation Ideas
May 18, 2011
Supporting physical activity in a school environment is a great way to help children stay active and healthy!
Did you know there are new Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPAG)? For health benefits now and in the future, the new CPAG recommend children and youth get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, although more is even better. Regular physical activity improves physical self-esteem, promotes healthy growth and development, reduces stress, helps achieve a healthy weight, and builds strong bones and muscles, among other benefits.
- View the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for K-3, 4-6 and/or 7-8.
In addition, the first Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines have also been released. These guidelines aim to maximize health by taking a whole-day approach to healthy, active living. The guidelines state that children and youth should limit screen time to no more than 2 hours per day and limit sedentary transport (e.g., in a car), extended sitting, and time spent indoors throughout the day. The goal is for children and youth to replace more of their sedentary time with light intensity activity (e.g., play, chores, and walking). The recommendations also include limiting sedentary time at school when possible.
- View the Canadian Sedentary Guidelines for K-3, 4-6 and/or 7-8.
Schools and teachers have the opportunity to encourage physical activity through a variety of strategies during the school day. The minimum 20 minutes of daily physical activity (DPA) during the elementary school day is a start towards meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits.
Strategies for Increasing Student Physical Activity
- Fundraising Ideas
Consider fundraising ideas and events that incorporate physical activity. Many schools have had great success, both financially and with participation levels, with events where students pay to try to score (e.g., hockey, soccer) on a favourite staff member or student leader or pay to shoot basketball hoops for a set amount of time. Consider awarding small trophies for students in each division (e.g., highest points, best shot). - Recess Time
Although students are outdoors during recess, many students are not physically active at this time. Even without being on the yard with them, teachers can encourage students to be active by the opportunities and ideas you give them. For example, consider stocking your classroom with some low-cost physical activity items such as skipping ropes, balls, Frisbees, and hacky sacks. You could also consider a variety of different balls and other sports equipment as available. Allow students to sign out the equipment at recess and choose 1 to 2 students to be equipment monitors to ensure that equipment is returned each day. You could also make a list with students of games they can play at break times (e.g., hopscotch, different versions of tag, ball games). Having students make a games book with instructions is an excellent writing extension. - Daily Physical Activity (DPA)
The minimum 20 minutes of DPA during the instructional day helps to meet the minimum 60 minutes per day for children and youth and also helps to decrease classroom sedentary time. On days when you do not have gym time or cannot go outdoors, splitting the DPA into 2 separate times during the school day may be more feasible and increasingly helps to break up sedentary time. The curriculum integration tip below lists some fun DPA ideas (see #6). - Role Modelling
Remember the impact of role modelling. You can indirectly encourage your students to be more physically active by discussing your own daily physical activities, being active during the day when able (e.g., organizing a walking, skipping, or running club at lunch and participating with the students), and encouraging students to discuss their own physical activities through classroom oral discussions and writing prompts. - Home Connections
Do your parents know about the Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines? The basics of these guidelines are important topics for school and classroom newsletters. Including ideas for physical activities at home (e.g., Frisbee, hopscotch, rollerblading, building a snow fort, tag, and other games) will help give parents practical ideas for encouraging physical activity. More newsletter suggestions can be found in the Home Connections area of the K-3 and 4-6 sections of our website. - Curriculum Integration
As teachers know, curriculum integration is important for teaching the dense elementary school curriculum. The following are a variety of ideas combining both physical activity and nutrition education in the school day. Most of the ideas will also work in the physical space of the classroom.
Aim for 4 Meals - Milling to Music
- Give each student a food or drink picture or name card.
- Students mill around the gym or classroom to music.
- When the music stops, students must find a group of 4 that includes 1 food or drink from each food group (i.e., an "Aim for 4" meal).
- Students who are not part of a meal are 'out'.
- Continue additional rounds.
- Option: 'Out' students can rejoin the game when 4 students, 1 from each food group, are 'out'. When the music stops they can make an "Aim for 4" meal and rejoin the game.
Food Group Four Corners
- Label each wall or corner of the gym/classroom as a food group.
- Students travel around the gym/classroom doing a specified action (e.g., run, skip, jumping jacks etc.).
- Teacher calls out the name of a food.
- Students walk/run to the wall or corner for the food group.
- Repeat for desired number of rounds.
Food Group Tag
- Choose 1 or more students to be the 'lunch bag' (i.e., 'it').
- The rest of the class lines up against one wall of the gym.
- The student who is the lunch bag picks a food group and calls out the name of a food or drink.
- If the food or drink is part of the chosen food group, students must run to the other side of the gym without being caught. If not, the students continue waiting and a new food is called.
- Students who are caught join the 'lunch bag' in the middle.
- Game repeats until only 1 or a few students are left.
Food Guide Servings Game
- Pick a food group and have students read the food guide to determine how many servings they need.
- Have small groups of students form circles and count off consecutively, 1 number at a time, until they reach the suggested number of servings.
- The student who says that number must temporarily leave the circle and do that number of repetitions of an activity (e.g., chicken jacks, frog jumps etc.).
- While that student is doing the repetitions, the remaining students start re-counting.
- The student doing the repetitions may rejoin the circle as soon as he or she finishes finish the repetitions.
To decrease preparation time for some of the activities, ask student helpers to make food pictures or name cards. Food picture cards are also included as part of the K-3 Power to Play! teacher resource package and may be ordered for a fee from the TeachNutrition Resource Catalogue.