No one needs to be told that kids these days are less active than previous generations. There are multiple reasons for this. The increase in the use of technology, a change in lifestyles, and the increased risk of being outdoors all influence how active kids can be, and this can have a massive impact on their health and wellbeing.
As educators or childcare providers, your role in encouraging children to be more active is not just crucial, but also invaluable. With fitness levels dropping in kids, your efforts to get them moving more are essential to ensure they release some energy, get active, and improve their health and wellbeing.
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Multiple studies show that active kids are more engaged and happier, so there’s a wealth of potential to encourage kids to be more active throughout the day. This potential should not just inspire but also fuel creativity to find innovative ways to promote physical activity in children. The possibilities are endless, and our creativity can lead to exciting and effective solutions.
Incorporate Movement Breaks
If educators are providing regular, consistent movement breaks, kids will know to expect them and can use this time to get out and move. Expecting kids to be still and inactive for long periods leads to frustration and boredom, and while education is, of course, a priority, being able to meet students’ needs to move and be active can facilitate deeper learning and students who are more willing to listen and participate. Your efforts in this area can significantly enhance the learning experience for children.
Implementing movement breaks doesn’t have to be daunting. You can have 5- —or 10-minute dance breaks in classrooms, conduct races in the gym, or let them do a quick aerobics workout. These are simple yet effective ways to keep children active and engaged.
Invest In Equipment
Having the right equipment for getting kids active can make it more enticing. This can include the right sports equipment for playing different sports, music to allow students to dance, or working with a company like General Recreation Inc to design the perfect playground that encourages kids to move around it.
The more exciting it is to be moving, the easier it will be to cajole them into doing so. Other options for less enthusiastic students can be having walking tracks around the yard or playground, having them help out with tasks like gardening or cleaning up, or helping younger kids out. These can still get them moving but without them feeling like that’s what is happening.
Make It A Competition and Use Incentives
They don’t need to be competitive against each other; it can be against themselves. But giving them something to make them more active can be a great motivator. You can hold competitions against other students or at a class or group level; the more active they are, the more points they get. You can have them earn points or prizes by simply having them move more.
It’s important to initiate this on a fair and equal level playing field, where each child’s unique abilities and limitations are respected. Some children might not be able to be as active as others due to economic or health reasons, and these should not count against them.
Instead, they should be used to encourage them to do what they’re able to within their own limitations. The aim is to make it fun and inclusive, not to alienate kids or make them feel like they can’t do what other kids are doing. Understanding and empathy are key in this process.
Host Events
A great way to encourage students to be more active is to host events or special days dedicated to being more active. It can be having sports teams or clubs come in for special lessons or to perform shows to show them why it is possible. For example, a cheerleading group could come to the school outside of class hours to run through some beginner classes and encourage students to take up the sport. You can host a gymnastics competition at the school, maybe you can hold a fitness fair with different demonstrations and resources for students, or you can invite fitness professionals in to come and talk to older kids about the importance of exercise and open up the floor to them to be as inquisitive as they like.
Many times, a lack of access or knowledge stops people from being active, and the more they know about how to be active and what is available to them, the more inclined they might be to take up a new sport or extracurricular activity that keeps them moving.
Provide Education and Opportunities
One significant barrier to children being more active is a lack of knowledge as touched upon above. By including more education in their learning about how and how they can be morue active and the benefits, it can help them to have a deeper understanding of the importance of being active and what it means to their bodies if they aren’t active. You can include decisional talks, field trips, or simply talk to the kids about why their bodies need movement.
This can be done as standalone lessons, incorporated into your active break times, or simply answered when asked. There are numerous ways you can inform students on how best to be active and help them build new habits.
Gamification
Gamification has become a powerful tool for education as a whole. However, by incorporating this into active time in education, you can make the process more fun for everyone. Gamification can help kids to be more involved with their own physical health and rewards; tracking achievements, progress, and participation can make it more enticing to be active.
Apps that allow students to blend learning, knowledge, and their active time in one place can be massively beneficial. You can use short quizzes; you can have tutorials, games, or simulations that enhance the experience, all directed toward the end goal of everyone moving more. The beauty of using this direction is the visual aspect of activities is clearer to see, and this is an excellent way for the students to not only see their progress but also control it and have more autonomy over their directions and what they choose to do instead of being told what to do.
