How to Grow an Active, Healthy Child How to Grow an ...
How to Grow an Active, Healthy Child One of the most important gifts we can give to our children is a love for physical activity and sport. It is a gift that will allow them to stay Active for Life!. We hear from many parents that it can be difficult to navigate the various activity programs in order to determine what is best for their child in the long run. We recommend that parents seek out sport and recreation programs that have clear outcomes (Ask: What I you expect my child to learn by the end of the session?) and a curriculum that takes into consideration the developmental age of the participants (not all 6 year olds are at the same level of physical development), and progresses or builds in a logical manner. Seek out leaders who challenge their participants with the ‘right activities’ at the ‘right time’ in order to set the foundation upon which more advanced skills can be built.
THE STARTLING TRENDS: • As a result of low activity levels and rising obesity levels, today’s generation of children have a lower life expectancy than their parents • Across Canada, only 9% of boys and 4% of girls get the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. • Children who received greater parental support for physical activity are more likely to engage in 1 or more hours of physical activity per day.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF LITERACY
Catch
Movement is a child’s first language, and our ability to move is the most fundamental means we have of interacting with our world. It’s called physical literacy. To develop physical literacy, there are certain fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills our children need to learn the right way, at the right time during their development. These skills include movements such as running, jumping, hopping, balancing, throwing and swimming. If any of these skills are not developed properly, future development is restricted. Children may be excluded from many sports and activities later in life. But give a child a strong foundation of movement skills and they’ll be ready to learn more complex movements and sport skills when the time is right.
If you can
Jump Run Swim
You will take part in
Throw
Catch
If you can
Jump Throw Swim
You will take part in
Run
Throw
If you can
Jump Swim Catch
You will take part in
Run
LOOK WHAT YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY LEARNING!
Socer Basketball Volleyball Track & Field Squash Badminton Rugby Tennis Baseball Softball Bowling Soccer Handball Football Rugby
Swimming Diving Water Polo Scuba Kayaking Sailing Surfing
An easy way to check if you are on the right track is to take a look at “Discover Physical Literacy” tab on the www.activeforlife.ca web site. Make it a FUN challenge to find ways through both structured programs and active family time to build a variety of movement skills and environments into your child’s active time throughout the year.
Want to learn more? Check out these great resources: www.activeforlife.ca www.canadiansportforlife.ca www.activehealthykids.ca
Spark. The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain Written by John Ratey, MD. (Copyright 2008 ,Published by Little, Brown and Company This handout was created by the CS4L AB Community Sport and Recreation Group
O
Dear Mom and
Trap
Run
Wa te
r
Stop
Turn t s i Tw Stretch
Bend
Dad,
l, but somehow a nu a m n io t c ru me with an inst and mind. Out o y c d t bo n’ id ng d pi I o l e w v e no d y Ik be acgive for m , you choose o re t he d t e t ne u I o w s ne m k ra you recreation prog nd a rt ies that I feel po it s iv t he c t a l n u f of a r e v help me to disco the ones that ing. good about do games but I y a pl t s ju e w n he s don't like it w s the games nt ng re hi t pa e nt m a o s rt w po im I kno ing about al the g letters and words in k l a t r e d a e l a in heard t like I am learn s u J . s u alking about ng t hi s c a w r e d a are tea e l he hat I need in p me to read, t l t he " h s l il c k hi s w , l o nt e ho m c e s ov "fundamental m ent" includes things like he t e m ng hi c a m te . I think "funda e iv t c a ing, balancing and t be is o w t t , r g in pp orde ho , throwing, skipping to play sports and do fun running, jumping, hat you need t s l il k s stuff. Don’t he nd t a l a g iin k s nd rol ing – a g ying so you wimming and hikin a s pl e k i re l a s e ie w it s iv e t m c a ga al y great u some of the re yo is h c it a e id t a l s I’ o y, s l rr ra wo o n too! My leade u f e m o hemselves, but t s t e r v o f ha t s can ju t be active – no for parents to for their kids. set an example ive in lots of t c a y a t s e m ping to , thanks for hel d a d nd a t do you want bu m , o e m m r o So f d o o r . I know it’s g With smart pa ! N U F H C different ways U M rt? It is SO that I will know the best pa me find great programs, I know ping ents like you hel e! beactive for lif
Push Swing Roll
ap
O
ut do or s
ut do or s
Groun Gallop T Strike h k l d Wa row Catch Jump Run Ki ck Tr
Love,
Ice Ski
p Snow
Cycle m i w S Thr ow Walk Air
Gallop
Ki
ck
Strike Push Balance Swing Slide Pull Dodge Skate
THE STARTLING TRENDS: • As a result of low activity levels and rising obesity levels, today’s generation of children have a lower life expectancy than their parents • Across Canada, only 9% of boys and 4% of girls get the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. • Children who received greater parental support for physical activity are more likely to engage in 1 or more hours of physical activity per day.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF LITERACY
Catch
Movement is a child’s first language, and our ability to move is the most fundamental means we have of interacting with our world. It’s called physical literacy. To develop physical literacy, there are certain fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills our children need to learn the right way, at the right time during their development. These skills include movements such as running, jumping, hopping, balancing, throwing and swimming. If any of these skills are not developed properly, future development is restricted. Children may be excluded from many sports and activities later in life. But give a child a strong foundation of movement skills and they’ll be ready to learn more complex movements and sport skills when the time is right.
If you can
Jump Run Swim
You will take part in
Throw
Catch
If you can
Jump Throw Swim
You will take part in
Run
Throw
If you can
Jump Swim Catch
You will take part in
Run
LOOK WHAT YOUR CHILD IS ALREADY LEARNING!
Socer Basketball Volleyball Track & Field Squash Badminton Rugby Tennis Baseball Softball Bowling Soccer Handball Football Rugby
Swimming Diving Water Polo Scuba Kayaking Sailing Surfing
An easy way to check if you are on the right track is to take a look at “Discover Physical Literacy” tab on the www.activeforlife.ca web site. Make it a FUN challenge to find ways through both structured programs and active family time to build a variety of movement skills and environments into your child’s active time throughout the year.
Want to learn more? Check out these great resources: www.activeforlife.ca www.canadiansportforlife.ca www.activehealthykids.ca
Spark. The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain Written by John Ratey, MD. (Copyright 2008 ,Published by Little, Brown and Company This handout was created by the CS4L AB Community Sport and Recreation Group
O
Dear Mom and
Trap
Run
Wa te
r
Stop
Turn t s i Tw Stretch
Bend
Dad,
l, but somehow a nu a m n io t c ru me with an inst and mind. Out o y c d t bo n’ id ng d pi I o l e w v e no d y Ik be acgive for m , you choose o re t he d t e t ne u I o w s ne m k ra you recreation prog nd a rt ies that I feel po it s iv t he c t a l n u f of a r e v help me to disco the ones that ing. good about do games but I y a pl t s ju e w n he s don't like it w s the games nt ng re hi t pa e nt m a o s rt w po im I kno ing about al the g letters and words in k l a t r e d a e l a in heard t like I am learn s u J . s u alking about ng t hi s c a w r e d a are tea e l he hat I need in p me to read, t l t he " h s l il c k hi s w , l o nt e ho m c e s ov "fundamental m ent" includes things like he t e m ng hi c a m te . I think "funda e iv t c a ing, balancing and t be is o w t t , r g in pp orde ho , throwing, skipping to play sports and do fun running, jumping, hat you need t s l il k s stuff. Don’t he nd t a l a g iin k s nd rol ing – a g ying so you wimming and hikin a s pl e k i re l a s e ie w it s iv e t m c a ga al y great u some of the re yo is h c it a e id t a l s I’ o y, s l rr ra wo o n too! My leade u f e m o hemselves, but t s t e r v o f ha t s can ju t be active – no for parents to for their kids. set an example ive in lots of t c a y a t s e m ping to , thanks for hel d a d nd a t do you want bu m , o e m m r o So f d o o r . I know it’s g With smart pa ! N U F H C different ways U M rt? It is SO that I will know the best pa me find great programs, I know ping ents like you hel e! beactive for lif
Push Swing Roll
ap
O
ut do or s
ut do or s
Groun Gallop T Strike h k l d Wa row Catch Jump Run Ki ck Tr
Love,
Ice Ski
p Snow
Cycle m i w S Thr ow Walk Air
Gallop
Ki
ck
Strike Push Balance Swing Slide Pull Dodge Skate
