How can after-school programs best promote physical activity to their students? It’s time to go beyond dodgeball and think outside the box, according to a new guide from the Ohio Afterschool Network and the Ohio health department.
As my colleague Nora Fleming reported yesterday on the Beyond School Blog, the guide lists 11 main physical-activity recommendations for after-school programs.
I won’t spoil them all here, but I’ll list a few that caught my eye:
• Types of Activities: Ensuring that children of all ages and fitness levels are able to participate successfully in the selected physical activities.
• Curriculum: Incorporating physical activity into a lesson plan, such as learning about other cultures through their games, or measuring distances for a walking club.
• Family, School, and Community Connections: Encouraging after-school programs to develop strong community relations to provide children with critical resources.
The guide recommends that all students participate in at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, a position supported by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, too.