Parents & Family

• 13 Ways Parents Can Help Children Be More Physically Active

• Family Fun Activities for Children ages 3-5

• Yearly Family Physical Activity Planner for Families and Children ages 5-11 year olds

• Fox 6 Interview with Dr. Kristy Hilton, Way's to Keep Kids Active Over Summer

• Physical Activity Log

13 Ways Parents Can Help Children Be More Physically Active

1. Frequently ask your child what physical activities they like to do, then help them do it!
2. Be a role model. Show children physical activity is important by enthusiastically participating in it.
3. Participate with your child (e.g., play catch, chop firewood, go on walks together).
4. Encourage your child to participate on sports teams (e.g., Bobby Sox, Little League, basketball, etc.).
5. Plan family events, including weekend getaways and vacations, that include physical activity (e.g., hiking, water sports, skiing).
6. Enroll your child in out-of-school physical activity lessons (e.g., martial arts, dance, swimming, gymnastics).
7. Transport your child to places where she/he can move and play safely.
8. Monitor television viewing and video game play. Have your child "earn" time for these "low voltage" activities by accumulating minutes of physical activity.
9. Select gifts that promote physical activity (e.g., a ball, a jump rope, a pair of in-line skates).
10. Write and speak with school administrators showing your support for quality physical education programs.
11. Encourage school officials to provide opportunities for students to be physically active before school, during lunch breaks, and after school.
12. Encourage school officials to offer assemblies, field trips, and special events that promote physical activity.
13. Advocate the development of neighborhood parks, biking paths, walking trails in your community.

Soliciting Parental Assistance to
Promote Physical Activity in Children by Paul Rosengard, Jim Sallis, Thom McKenzie

As physical educators, we are aware of the importance of good communication with the parents of our students. Soliciting parental support of our programs is an appropriate practice, and it may be one of the keys to our survival.

Distributing materials that report on student progress (e.g., report cards) and the scope of our offerings (e.g., family nights, newsletters) are only two pieces of the parental involvement puzzle. As physical educators, we can also be communicating to parents about the need for continued student engagement in physical activity outside of school as part of a healthy lifestyle. This is all in addition to providing high quality and active physical education classes.

It is difficult for many students to accumulate at least 30 minutes a day of movement as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Often, our own physical education classes are not active enough (or do not meet often enough) to achieve this goal. Furthermore, if children choose not to participate in optional movement activities -- assuming they are even offered -- before school, during recess or lunch, after school, and on the weekends, they may be increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

"13 Ways Parents Can Help Children Be More Physically Active," has been written to be photocopied and distributed to the parents of your students. It provides specific, effective strategies to encourage movement outside of physical education classes. Most of these strategies cost nothing, however, many require some personal commitment from parents. We need to convince parents that their children's health and well-being are worth the time and effort.

Bridging the gap between the physical education class and a healthy lifestyle away from school is not easy. However, through improved parental education, communication, and support, we may cross the bridge together.

Family Fun Activities for Children Ages 3-5

The following activities are intended to increase children's moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) throughout their day. This section includes games as well as lifestyle activities.

PROMOTIONAL SUGGESTIONS:
Providing families with activities is a great first step in increasing physical activity for preschoolers. Implementing any of these promotional suggestions will increase the likelihood of families participating in movement activities at home.

• Posters around your room
• Handouts to families
• Newsletters
• Parent meetings
• Family Activity Events
• Others?

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDELINES FOR PRESCHOOLERS:

• Most children aren't ready for organized sports until the age of 6. Keep their activities fun and non-competitive.
• Be an active role model by exercising and playing with your child. She will watch you and want to be just like you.
• Get outside and play with your children whenever possible. There are limitless opportunities for play outside, and the fresh air is great!
• Remember children need planned activity as well as free play.
• Plan for your child to play with other children frequently.
• At this stage of life your child may be able to do these activities:
  • Walking
  • Running
  • Sliding
  • Jumping
  • Hopping
  • Galloping
  • Tossing and Throwing
  • Rolling
  • Bouncing
  • Catching
  • Dancing
  • Climbing
  • Kicking
  • Skipping (by age 5 or 6)

LIFESTYLE ACTIVITIES:

• Involve your preschooler in chores around your home. They may be able to help with:
  • Carrying laundry
  • Cleaning floors
  • Raking leaves
  • Taking out the trash
  • Washing a car
  • Cleaning windows
  • Making beds
  • Picking up toys
  • Dusting
  • Feeding and walking pets
  • Gardening
  • Carrying groceries
• Whenever possible, take stairs rather than elevators or escalators.
• Walk to and from places nearby your home rather than drive.
• If you drive, park farther away from your destination to increase walking.
• Turn off the TV and turn on some music for a little dancing.
• Limit computer use, video watching, and video game playing and interest your child in more active forms of play.

FAMILY FUN ACTIVITIES:

BUBBLES
What you'll need: Liquid soap and a bubble wand
Blow bubbles with your child. Challenge him to pop the bubbles before they touch the ground. Call out various body parts for him to use to pop the bubbles.

Body Part Identification
What you'll need: Favorite children's books
While reading books, ask your child to point to body parts that you name in the pictures. As she masters this concept, point to body parts in books and ask her to name them. Body parts used with preschoolers might be: head, neck, ears, eyes, nose, leg, knee, back, arms, waist, chest, wrist, hips, fingers, bottom, foot, ankles, toes, elbow, shoulder, hand, and stomach.

Shake Your Body
What you'll need: Favorite music
Using fun, upbeat music, prompt your child to shake and wiggle various body parts that you name. Start with the head and work your way down.

Body Part Moves
What you'll need: Nothing
Call out a body part and ask your child to show you all the ways he can move it.

Stuck In the Mud
What you'll need: Nothing
Pretend your feet are stuck in the mud. Challenge your child to see how many ways he can move his body without moving his feet.

Farm Animals
What you'll need: Nothing
Name a farm animal (chicken, rooster, cow, pig, sheep, goat, etc.) and ask your child to show you how that animal moves and sounds.

Balance Walk
What you'll need: Nothing
In your neighborhood, at a playground, around your home, or anywhere you may be walking, find lines on the ground to use as a "balance beam." Challenge your child to move forward on the line without falling off. When she masters this, try sideways, then backward.

Freeze Dance #2
What you'll need: Fun music
Turn on music your child likes to dance to. Stop the music every 10-20 seconds. Challenge him to freeze in position until music starts again.

Roll The Dice
What you'll need: One die
Use a single die for this game. Create an activity for each of the six sides (or use the suggestions below). Allow her to roll the die, and then you all complete the activity it represents.
For example:

1 = Hop on one foot 10 times
2 = Jump on two feet 10 times
3 = Skip around the room
4 = Stand and hang your hands toward your feet
5 = Act like your favorite animal
6 = Roll on the ground like a log


Walk Like The Animals
What you'll need: Nothing
Ask your child to pretend he is an animal. He can move like the animal, look like them, sound like them, etc. Ask your child what he is doing that makes him like that animal. Allow your child to pick his own animals to imitate, but be ready to give suggestions.
Here are a few examples:

• Inchworm
• Puppy
• Elephant
• Spider
• Seal
• Snake
• Monkey
• Eagle
• Dog
Be creative!

Dramatic Play
What you'll need: Favorite children's books, music, and colorful pictures
Encourage creative movement at home with books, music, pictures, etc. Ask her to act out what she sees and hears in various stories (provide examples of books).

Feel The Beat
What you'll need: Fun music with different tempos (slow and fast)
Play music with a slow beat and encourage your child to move in slow motion. Then play music with a fast beat and prompt them to move quickly. It might look like a graceful ballet when using slow classical music, and rowdy rocking with contemporary music.

Traffic Lights
What you'll need: Nothing
When you are walking with your child, call out a traffic signal color.

• When you say "green light," he should walk quickly.
• On "yellow," he should move in slow motion.
• Finally, when you say "red," he should stop completely.
Change the movement each time you play. You can pick the movement, or ask your child to pick one. Examples are: Gallop, jog, jump, slide, hop, skip, etc.

Follow The Leader
What you'll need: Nothing
Play the simple game of Follow the Leader with your child when walking from place to place. Change leaders every 20-30 seconds so she gets practice both following and leading. As she masters these skills, add more challenges when you are the leader.

Mirror, Mirror
What you'll need: Nothing
Face your child and explain that he is to move exactly like you will be moving, like a reflection in a mirror. Begin with very slow movements and prompt him to follow you. For example: tilting your head to the side, raising and lowering your hand, sticking out your tongue. As he masters mirroring slowly, add more difficulty. Take turns being the leader. You can also use this game to work on areas of health your child needs work.
For example:

Flexibility: Reach for your toes
Strength: Raise up onto the balls of your feet (heel raises), Stretch your arms high, Lunge forward and back, Bend to the sides, Do push-ups from a kneeling position
Aerobic Fitness: Jog in place, Form a bridge with your body, Jump and move arms in place

BeanBag Balance
What you'll need: Beanbag or small, soft toy
Place a beanbag or small soft toy (stuffed animal) on your child's head. Challenge him to walk from one place to the other while balancing the beanbag on his head. As he masters this, challenge him to move in different ways: sideways, backward, crawling, crab walking, on tiptoes, etc.

Partner Tricks
What you'll need: Ball, beanbag or small, soft toy
Try the following with your child:

• Twist and Turn: Stand back to back with your child (you may want to stand on your knees or sit on your bottom to make your heights more even). Pass the toy to her by twisting one way. She twists toward the toy to receive it from you. Then, she twists the opposite way to give it back to you. Continue for several rounds. Switch directions every 20-30 seconds or so. Try it with different toys.
• Bend and Stretch: Stand back to back with your child, legs straddled to shoulder-width apart. Pass the toy to your child between your legs. She bends down and receives the toy from you. Then, she reaches up overhead to pass it to you. You reach over and down (it may be necessary to "cheat" and reach around to get it from your preschooler) and continue the cycle. Switch directions every 20-30 seconds or so. Try it with different toys.
• Your Own Way: Come up with your own way to pass the toy back and forth.

Toss and Catch
What you'll need: Soft beanbag, ball or toy
Play catch with your child using a soft beanbag, ball, or toy. Use an underhand throw. As your child becomes more confident, increase your distance.

Jump Rope
What you'll need: Jump rope or length of rope
Hold one end of the rope and tie the other end to a stationary object. Keeping the rope close to the ground, challenge your child to jump over the rope. After each jump, she can run behind you and back to the other side to repeat. Challenge her by wiggling the rope like a snake or by raising it slightly off the ground (keep it low!!).

Hopscotch
What you'll need: Chalk and cement/asphalt surface
Create your own hopscotch court on a sidewalk, cement slab, etc., using chalk. Make it as long or short as you like. Be sure to include both single and double spaces. Use a rock, penny, beanbag, etc. to toss and mark your spot. Challenge him to hop and jump his way from the beginning to the end and back again. Helps develop leg strength, rhythm, and counting skills.

Snowballs
What you'll need: 5-10 balled up newspaper pieces, socks, or any very soft, light items to make "snowballs"
Divide a small area into two sides. Your child will be on one side; you will be on the other, each with half of the "snowballs." When he says, "GO!" you both begin throwing "snowballs" to the other's side. Continue until he says, "STOP!"

Simon Says
What you'll need: Nothing
Play Simon Says with your child (you can call it "Mommy Says" or whatever is appropriate if you like). Include activities such as body part moves, flexibility, strength, and aerobic fitness to build on skills and fitness. Needless to say when you are playing with your own child, there is no elimination for doing an activity even if "Simon" didn't tell them. Great for body part identification, listening discrimination, and other fitness.

Dear Families,

This program is a fun and developmentally appropriate way to teach children about physical activity while attending. We want to share some of these great activities with you, and to help you encourage your child to be active. These activities are easy to do and you will have fun being active with your child!

We know that being physically active is only part of living a healthy lifestyle, so we also encourage you to eat healthy foods with your children and to help them learn to choose healthy snacks.

Here are some fun and easy things you can do at home to be healthy right from the start:

• Limit "screen time" - watching TV, or computer time.
• Have easy to grab healthy snacks on hand like yogurt, fruit, cheese, whole-wheat crackers and graham crackers.
• Try to eat together as a family to model healthy eating habits.
• Involve your children in meal planning and grocery shopping. This helps them learn how to make good choices.
• Take walks together.

  Let's work together to make healthy choices to give our children a healthy start in life!