I NNOVATIVE A CTIVE P LAY In the Early Years 0-6 Keri-Ellen Walcer

T HE C URRENT S ITUATION

H EALTHY H ABITS S TART E ARLIER T HAN Y OU T HINK The early years are a critical period for growth and development. Less than half of Canadian kids under five are getting regular physical activity as part of their daily routines.

P HYSICAL A CTIVITY IN THE E ARLY Y EARS The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth indicates that only 36% of 2-3 year- olds and 44% of 4-5 year-olds engage regularly in unorganized sport and physical activity each week. A survey of Edmonton parents indicates that only 42% of preschoolers get 90 minutes of physical activity per day. In childcare centre settings, one US study shows that 89% of children’s time is spent being sedentary.

More than 90% of kids begin watching TV before the age of two, despite recommendations that screen time should be zero for children under 2, and limited to 1 hour for kids 2-5. National data show that 15.2% of 2-5 year-olds are overweight and 6.3% are obese. It is estimated that overweight 2-5 year-olds are 4 times as likely to be overweight as adults. In 1971, the average age at which children began to watch TV was 4 years; today, it is 5 months.

S CREEN TIME AND P HYSICAL A CTIVITY Kids are accumulating 6 hours of screen time on weekdays and over 7 hours on weekend days. Screen Time F

W HAT ARE C HILDREN W ATCHING ?

A CTIVE PLAY IS FUN, BUT NOT FRIVOLOUS. In the early years, active play is required for healthy development, as it builds confidence and basic movement skills, and fosters social interaction, imaginations and self- esteem.

B RAIN F UNCTION O PTIMAL W INDOWS FOR LEARNING - INCREASE BRAIN CELL DEVELOPMENT.

ABC’ S OF P HYSICAL L ITERACY Just as we teach children their abc’s prior to learning how to read and write. It is needful that we begin their physical education by teaching the abc’s of physical literacy. A- Agility B- Balance C- Coordination

A GILITY Being able to change the body’s position quickly and efficiently, and being able to do so in many situations Some examples of agility exercises are jumping running and diving. The process should start as soon as the child can crawl, by providing opportunities to crawl on different surfaces and to crawl around different obstacles Example: “In the Swing”

B ALANCE There are two types of balance that we are concerned with, stationary balance and dynamic balance. Stationary Balance is balancing while standing still Dynamic Balance is balance while moving. Example: “Sam the Pterodactyl”

C OORDINATION Coordination refers to the ability to control your various body parts while doing a variety of activities. This is what Dr. Higgs was talking about when he introduced the concept, “cells that fire together wire together”. Example: “Going to School”

R ECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO A CTIVE S TART PHASE AS DEFINED BY CF4L Activities should be INCLUSIVE giving all children the opportunity to be physically active Children in this age group have an attention span of about 2-3 minutes therefore activities should be done in short spurts with plenty of variety Learning fundamental SPORT skills before mastering related fundamental MOVEMENT skills reduces performance ability later Activities should be non-competitive at this stage

C OMBINING M OVEMENT A CTIVITIES WITH C OGNITIVE L EARNING As Dr. Higgs and others have pointed out, when we combine physical movement with cognitive learning we have a net greater learning outcome than using either method alone. Many educators site time and space limitations to be among the top reasons it is difficult to fit physical activity into their daily routines. How can we create programs that combine these elements, thereby becoming more efficient with our programming?

T HE O CEAN R OOM

G ROUP A CTIVITY Create a physical activity plan that combines story, movement, music, and play. Four major categories: Visual Arts ie: space, line, colour, pathways Mathematics ie: numeration, levels & body shapes, big and little Sciences ie: human body, the senses, nutrition, seasons, animals etc. Social Studies ie: self concept, friendships, celebrations, occupations, emotions

R OLL P LAY : M OVEMENT A DVENTURE

B ENEFITS O VERVIEW Lays the foundation for future success in skill development Creates neural connections across multiple pathways in the brain particularly when rhythmic activities are used. Enhances development of brain function, coordination, social skills, gross motor skills, emotional development, leadership and imagination. Helps build strong bones and muscles, improving flexibility and good posture. Improves fitness, promotes a healthy body weight, reduces stress and improves sleep.

A DDITIONAL U SEFUL R ESOURCES Developing Physical Literacy by Canadian Sport For Life Active Start with Dr. Colin Higgs Active Healthy Kids Canada MusiGo Inc. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and The Brain, John J. Ratey