Active Indoor Recess - Action for Healthy Kids

AFHK Wednesday Webinar Series
Active Indoor Recess:
Bringing Outdoor Play
Indoors When the
Weather Gets Bad
Today’s Speakers
Jocelyn Toney, MPH
Heidi Milby, MPH
Field Coordinator
School Program Manager
Logistics
Telephone or speakers
Everyone is muted
Submit a question
This call is being
recorded
 Link to recording and
handouts will be sent
out following the call




Who Are We?
Action for Healthy Kids®
(AFHK) fights childhood
obesity, undernourishment
and physical inactivity by
helping schools become
healthier places so kids can
live healthier lives.
Who Are We?
Our goal is to create school
communities where
children learn how to make
healthy choices from the
minute they walk in the
front door to the minute
they leave at the end of the
school day.
Active Indoor Recess
Today’s Objectives
 LEARN – What is the importance of physical
activity, including active indoor recess?
 ACT – Learn fun and active indoor recess ideas to
integrate into your school
 TRANSFORM – Ensure your students are healthy
and ready to learn
Physical Activity in Schools
 The Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC)
recommends that kids
get 60 minutes of
physical activity daily.
Physical Activity in Schools
The Learning Connection
Action for Healthy Kids, “The Role of Sound Nutrition and Physical
Activity in Academic Achievement”
Increased physical activity
leads to more focused
classroom behaviors and
improved mathematics,
reading, and writing test
scores.
Physical Activity in Schools
What Movement Does for the Brain





Increases learning ability
Increases attentiveness
Increases the level of engagement
Decreases behavioral issues
Decreases absenteeism
“Move More, Learn More ─ Physical Activity at the Secondary Level,” Colorado Legacy Foundation Webinar, September 12, 2012
http://colegacy.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Move-More-Learn-More-PA-Presentation.pdf
Comprehensive School
Physical Activity Plans (CSPAP)
Physical
activity =
anything that
gets your body
moving
P.E.
Recess
Fitness breaks
Field trips
Classroom learning that
incorporates movement
 Before and after school activities
 Walk and bike to school programs





Recess
 SHAPE America recommends 20
minutes of daily recess.
 Up to 40% of school districts have
reduced or eliminated recess.
 Scaling back recess comes at a
cost to learning.
“State of Play,” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,
www.playworks.org/files/StateOfPlayFeb2010.pdf
Active Indoor Recess
“Overweight or obese students are
more likely to be victims of bullying
than their average-weight
peers…Students who are teased
because of their weight may
experience problems that are
harmful to their emotional and
physical well-being.”
– Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.
“Weight Bias is a Major Reason that Students are
Bullied in Schools: A Fact Sheet on School Climate.”
 Don’t wait to plan indoor
recess!
 Enough trained adults
 Enough space, facilities,
and equipment
 Partner Up!
Active Indoor Recess
 Planned and actively supervised
 Organized play led by trained
adults and older students
 Emphasis on turn-taking,
helpfulness, rule-following, and
emotional control
Active Indoor Recess
 Soft, foam equipment
 Equipment Ideas:
Movement Dice
Juggling Scarves
Classroom Yoga Cards
HotSpots™ Exercise Sets
 Indoor Recess Bags
 Imagination Playground
Active Indoor Recess
 Organize a year-round
walking club
 Try chair-less musical
chairs
 Pass It On – Uno Style!
 Movement Jenga
 Use GoNoodle!
 Brain Breaks and
Energizers
Active Indoor Recess
 Use “Follow Along” videos to
create movement
Examples: Sid Shuffle-Ice Age:
Continental Drift or Zumba
Ghostbusters
 Play “Wax Museum” – this is a
relatively quiet game too!
Active Indoor Recess
All these ideas where found on AFHK Social Media!
 Practice Animal Yoga
 Build Physical Activity Cubes
 Hallway races or relays
 Indoor snowball fight
 Balloon Paddle Ball
 4 Corners
Active Indoor Recess Tips
Indoor Recess Tips
 Ask around if parents and teachers
are fitness instructors!
 Recruit older student leaders to
lead indoor recess activities.
 Get student input!
 Establish indoor recess structures
and routines.
Active Indoor Recess Tips
Make your program inclusive
 Children with special needs and
typically developing children
should participate side by side.
 Assess the ability needs of your
students.
 Modify activities to ensure that
all students can join in.
Active Indoor Recess Tips
 Value of volunteers
 Bring enhanced/expert knowledge base,
valuable resources & skills
 New perspective & energy
 Lasting impact and contribution
 Free help & support
 Motivation of volunteers
 Personal benefits to volunteering
 Relational/social & availability
 Vested interest in the organization/cause
“Volunteers are partners working together for
improving America's future.”
-Richard Daley
Success Stories
Panther Creek High School
Cary, North Carolina
SMART LUNCH
Von Linne Elementary School,
Chicago, IL
INDOOR RECESS GRAB
BAGS
Resources
Indoor Recess Resources
 Peaceful Playgrounds
 Playworks
 JAM Program
 Apply for School Grants for
Healthy Kids to purchase
equipment and materials to
host indoor active recess
Game On Program
Resources
http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/tools-for-schools
Resources
Let’s Move, Active Schools
A comprehensive program that empowers P.E. teachers, classroom teachers,
principals, administrators, and parents to create active environments that
enable all students to get moving and reach their full potential.
http://letsmoveschools.org/
Follow Us for More Resources
 Stay up to date on Success
Stories, health tips, physical
activity games, fun recipes,
volunteer opportunities, and
ideas for action!
Contact Information
Questions? Let us know!
Action for Healthy Kids
[email protected]