Physical Activity

What Works

Child Care Providers have a unique opportunity to positively influence children through educating, role modeling, and providing opportunities for children to be active throughout the day. This can be best achieved by:

• Embedding activity breaks throughout the day.
• Providing an opportunity for outdoor play everyday.
• Providing opportunities to build fundamental movement skills (physical literacy) throughout the school day (e.g., hopping, balancing, running, throwing, catching), which will instill confidence, increase activity levels, and help with learning and development.
• Implementing key physical literacy teaching strategies, and providing a variety of activities that the children enjoy.
• Supporting active travel when possible – such as walking or cycling to the park.
• Having play spaces, equipment and time that encourages children to play and develop their balance, coordination and confidence.
• Ensuring there is shade and sun protection.
• Avoiding screen time and promoting other higher quality sedentary activities such as reading, and sitting in nature.
• Conducting parental outreach and education about physical activity and sedentary behaviour so that efforts translate from school to home.

Resources to Boost Physical Activity

Pause to Play Challenge: The Pause to Play Challenge includes resources for you to challenge everyone to reduce their screen time, increase physical activity levels and improve healthy balanced eating and sleep.

Have a Ball: Have a Ball has information related to the importance of physical activity for the healthy development of children ages 0–6, with over 100 fun and simple games and activities designed to get children active.

Jiggi Jump: Have a Ball has information related to the importance of physical activity for the healthy development of children ages 0–6, with over 100 fun and simple games and activities designed to get children active.

PlaySport: Teaching Kids Games by Playing Games: PlaySport allows you to search for activities based on the equipment you have, the skills you want to teach, the complexity of the game or the space you have available. Activities are fun and adaptable to every skill level. Also available in French.

A Tool for Parenting Children and A Tool for Working with Children and Teens: These resources provide evidence based information to help parents and other adults have a positive impact on a child’s physical activity, healthy eating, body image and self-esteem. These resources focus on empowering children; promoting health, not weight; being a positive role model through words and actions; promoting healthy eating and physical activity in a positive way; and providing encouragement and opportunities for everyone.

For more information, visit our Physical Activity and Rest webpage.