Too many of Canada’s children and youth are not active enough for healthy growth and development. Because children and youth spend a majority of their waking hours at school, schools play an important role in promoting regular physical activity.
Educators can facilitate the learning and discovery of physical activity and help children and youth become aware of the importance of physical activity to a healthy lifestyle.
The school environment provides many opportunities for children and youth to be active such as:
• physical education classes
• integration into other subject areas
• intramurals, recess and lunch time
• before and after school “free play” (playgrounds, and inter-school athletics).
Southwestern Ontario in motion vision for schools
An in motion school is one that values the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating and ensures that both are a visible priority in the daily life of the school.
As an in motion school, there is a commitment to work towards the goal of a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity every day for every student, and to provide an environment that supports healthy eating choices.
This can be achieved through any combination of: physical education; physical activity breaks; physical activity programs; intramurals; special events; school nutrition programs; healthy fundraising; healthy food options at meetings, school events, special food days, and in tuck shops and vending machines.
One of the Programs currently running in our community of Windsor-Essex is Kids in motion. Kids in motion is a fun, healthly walking program designed for grade 5 students. Each Student receives a pedometer and journal to track their progress. To view a .pdf copy of this journal and program details, click the link below.
Contact us to find out how your school can become “in motion".
