It is really simply indeed. Teaching the fundamental movement skills opens up many doors for kids. Sport, physical activity, free play will become even more enjoyable if kids are proficient with movement. This will not only lead to increased physical well-being, but also the social and emotional well-being of our youth. Sometimes kids say it best. This video touches on the importance of learning the fundamental movement skills.
Two more resources:
· Created by the Canadian Sport...
When it comes to developing the physical literacy levels of youth we must always consider improving the social, emotional, and physical well-being. Improving one’s physical fitness levels is part of enhancing the physical well-being of youth. Within Saskatchewan’s physical education curriculum there is a focus on the Active Living goal. This goal emphasizes the need to enhance each of the components of health-related fitness.
No Equipment Necessary provides a number of exercises that...
Clap, Slap, Cheer is a fantastic movement activity that can be done in any space. This powerpoint has letters that represent a different movement:
C Clap (clap hands three times)
S Slap (high five someone next to you)
H Hooray (arms up high and cheer “Hooray”)
Simply put up a slide and have the group read the letters from left to right and perform the movements.
In some cases you will see letters capitalized. Stand up to perform the movement for...
“Play is a powerful way to impart social skills”
Margaret Wente references Peter Gray, in her article from The Globe And Mail. Is it possible we are doing more harm than good when it comes to getting our kids ‘involved’? Wente brings us back to a slower time and helps one to consider the idea of ‘play’ and what it can do for us socially.
Today's kids are the first generation with a shorter life expectancy than their parents. What would you do with five more years? Every educator, parent, community leader, and coach should see this!
The following article is from Active For Life's publisher and editor-in-chief, Richard Monette.
In late August I picked up a local paper in a coffee shop. Looking at all the “back to school” inserts, my heart sank. “Summer is coming to an end,” I whispered as I scanned the advertising for binders, calculators, and sharpies.
On the last page a little card intended for parents caught my attention: “How to raise a reader”. After reading it I realized that I could easily replace the word...
As part of the Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) Series, Physical & Health Education Canada has developed collections of videos to help provide visual portrayals of the movements discussed in the corresponding FMS handbooks.
The videos provide instruction in, and demonstration of, fundamental movement skills and competencies. More specifically, these short videos display children completing the selected fundamental movement skills from various angles, in addition to providing freeze frame...
Part of the Skillful Movement goal in physical education includes expanding students' awareness of what the body does, where the body moves, how the body performs the movement, and with whom or with what the body moves. These understandings are referred to as the Movement Variables. During elementary physical education (K-5) years, emphasis is placed on establishing a movement vocabulary and on the understanding and use of movement concepts from each of the four categories: Body, Space,...
Parents, how did you get to school when you were a kid? As the story went, “I walked to school, up hill, both ways, every day, even in the winter!” How are youth getting to school in 2013? A report titled, “Are we driving our kids to unhealthy habits?” (Active Healthy Kids Canada) would suggest the youth of today are being driven on many occasions. In Canada, a recent survey found that although 58% of parents walked to school when they were kids, only 28% of their children walk to school...
Sara Smeaton has written the following article for Active for Life . As a parent, how many items from this list of 10 ideas can you check off? As a community leader, are there connections to what is being done in your community? Sara writes:
One thing I’ve learned about raising active children is that the love of moving needs to be taught and encouraged, exactly the same way we teach and encourage our children to love to read. The second thing I’ve learned is that there isn’t just one...
