Activity Plan #5 (children): Creating Supportive Environments for Physical Activity

Purpose

This activity plan is part of a series supporting the Eat Well and Be Active Every Day poster. This activity plan is designed to help intermediaries educate children about key physical activity messages and to encourage and support them in taking action to maintain and improve their health.

Educators are encouraged to use the activity plans with a group according to the suggested sequence, as some concepts in the series build on each other. However, educators should adapt suggested activities and sequence to meet the needs of their group.

Topic

This activity plan:

• Introduces the concepts of the built environment and active transportation and how they can support physical activity.

• Encourages participants to think of how to be active in their neighbourhood (such as through active transportation, play, recreation, etc.).

• Explains basic safety rules for active transportation.

Background

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Activity Plan #1 (children and adults): Benefits of Eating Well and Being Physically Active discusses the benefits of healthy living.

Activity Plan #2 (children): Make Each Serving and All Physical Activity Count introduces the types, amounts, intensity and frequency of physical activity required to promote good health.

If you have not already completed Activity Plan #1 and #2 with your group, you may want to complete them before beginning this Activity Plan.

Being active every day is an important part of maintaining and improving physical and mental health. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that children aged 5 to 11 do at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity every day. This should include vigorous-intensity activities and activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least three days a week.

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

Regular physical activity in childhood builds healthy hearts and circulation and strong muscles and bones. Regular activity can also establish positive habits that last a lifetime. Participation in recreational and leisure activities is important not only for physical health, but also for emotional and social well-being. This is important for everyone – including those with physical disabilities.

For more information on the recommended types and levels of physical activity for children and youth, see Activity Plan #2 (children): Make Each Serving and All Physical Activity Count.

The Built Environment

The built environment is part of our physical surroundings. It includes the buildings, parks, schools, road systems and other infrastructure that we see every day. The way communities are built can influence what activities we do and if we can do them safely. For example, can children:

• walk or bike to school or do daily activities, such as visiting friends or going to the park (active transportation)?

• be active outdoors (for example, go on a hike, bicycle, ski, play outdoor sports and activities, such as baseball, tennis or soccer)?

• easily access recreational facilities, such as community centres and parks?

People are more physically active when communities:

• are designed for walking and cycling (for example, there are separate biking lanes on streets; walking or biking trails are provided)

• have a mix of housing and businesses, so people can easily walk to stores and there is less need to travel by car

• are seen to be safe (for example, well-maintained sidewalks and adequate lighting; streets where other pedestrians walk regularly)

• have places and facilities for active play, such as parks, walking or biking trails, community recreation centres and playgrounds

Supportive environments are those that promote physical activity for both individuals and families.

Active Transportation

Active transportation refers to any form of human-powered transportation. It can include walking, biking or skateboarding or, during the winter, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or skating. There are many ways for children to engage in active transportation. For example, children may walk to the bus stop, or ride their bicycles to school.

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

Active transportation:

• increases a person’s level of physical activity that helps build a healthy heart and strong bones

• reduces the use of motor vehicles, which helps reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases

• contributes to more lively and people-friendly neighbourhoods

• reduces traffic, making roads safer

Well-planned communities can make it easier and more convenient to actively move from place-to-place and to participate in a range of healthy activities. For example, encouragement might include having bike lanes on streets and places to lock or store bicycles. Communities can also encourage physical activity by providing accessible green space, parks and recreation facilities. Planning streetscapes to be visually pleasing and inviting to pedestrians also encourages being active.

Safety is important: It’s important to think about safety for active transportation. Walking or biking is safest if the child has a buddy or goes with a parent or guardian. Being part of a group of children walking with one or more adults, known as a Walking School Bus, is also safe. Young children should never walk or bike alone unless they have a safe route to school and permission from their parent or guardian.

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Educator Tip: You may want to invite a community constable from your local police force to talk with the children about personal, walking and biking safety. Information for parents and educators is also available from the Canadian Police Association’s Cops for Kids Safety program.

For more information on this topic, see suggested readings.

Educator Tip: These suggested readings are recommended to help you prepare for this activity plan.

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

Learning Objectives

After completing the activities, participants will be able to:

1. See where they can be physically active in their neighbourhood.2. Play active games with their friends and families throughout the year.3. Understand the rules of personal, walking and biking safety.

You will need

Required

• One Eat Well and Be Active Every Day poster

• Tips to Get Active for Children (5-11 years)

• Pencil or crayon and paper for each participant

Optional

• Several Eat Well and Be Active images to show to participants.

• Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Children 5 – 11 years

Activities

My Neighbourhood

Helping children understand their neighbourhood also helps them see how the built environment affects physical activity.

Note: The concept of “neighbourhood” may differ between children and at different ages. Ask younger children to draw a picture of the street where they live. Ask older children to draw a map of their neighbourhood.

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Educator Tip: You may want older children to colour-code the land use in their neighbourhood on their maps. For example, they could colour residential places yellow, commercial places red, industrial places purple, etc. The children could use this colour-coding when discussing the types of land use and how they affect a community.

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

How and Where I am Active

Ask how many children rode their bike, skated, played on the jungle gym, etc. (were moderately active) yesterday? Ask how many ran, played basketball or hockey, cross-country skied, etc. (were vigorously active)? Ask the children to describe how and where they were active. You may want to refer to images on the Eat Well and Be Active Every Day poster to help stimulate discussion. Depending on how old the children are, you may prepare a list, such as the following:

How I Was Active Where I Was ActivePlaying tag during recess SchoolyardWalking home from school On the sidewalks in my neighbourhoodPlaying soccer At the community soccer fieldRiding my bike In my neighbourhood(continue) (continue)

KEY MESSAGE: Knowing where you can be active in your neighbourhood can help you think of new ways to be active.

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Talk with the children about their neighbourhoods. Ask them if their neighbourhood has:

• Mostly individual houses or apartment buildings?

• Businesses such as stores or restaurants?

• Places to be active, such as walking or bike trails, playgrounds, community recreational centres or parks?

• Public places, such as schools, libraries, government buildings, colleges or universities?

• Factories, warehouses or power plants (industries- places where people work or make things)?

• Empty lots? Places where there is nothing at all?

• Fields and farms?

HEALTHY EATING TIP: When you are active and get thirsty, drink water. For most active people, water is all you need to stay hydrated.

Drink less soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and other sweetened drinks.

Being Active in My Neighbourhood

Read aloud each activity in the Being Active in My Neighbourhood table. Ask the children to stand up for the activities they are able to do in their neighbourhood, and to remain seated for those they are unable to do. You might want to tally the responses in the table. Show examples of activities using Eat Well and Be Active images.

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

KEY MESSAGE: Different neighbourhoods have different spaces and buildings, and different opportunities to be active.

KEY MESSAGE: Supportive environments promote physical activity, for both individuals and families. Try being active with your family, including parents and even grandparents.

Exploring new ways to be active

Sometimes, we can find more ways to be active in our neighbourhood. Ask the children:

• Are they allowed to walk or bike to school?

• Is it possible to walk or bike with their parents to do chores in their neighbourhood, such as going to the post office, buying groceries or going to the library?

• Are there places, such as parks or recreation centres, where they could go with friends to play active games?

• Are there walking or biking trails in their community they could use, either with friends or with their family?

As a group, create a brainstorm list of active games you can play, or could play, in the following locations:

• In the classroom?

• In the gym?

• In the schoolyard?

• Inside their homes?

• In their yard or neighbourhood?

• At the park or playground?

• At their community recreation centre, YM/YWCA or other facilities?

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Encourage the children to name as many activities as they can for each location, as well as the games that can be played there. For example, hopscotch can be played in the schoolyard, in their driveways at home, or on the sidewalk. Badminton can be played outside or inside a gymnasium.

Activities that children might name:

Catch with a ball or Frisbee Follow the leader Playing active video gamesTag Baseball or t-ball Dancing to your favourite musicHide and seek Soccer or rugby HikingSkipping Flying a kite ClimbingHopscotch Making a snowman TennisShooting baskets or basketball Miniature golf Three-legged or potato sack racesBadminton Kick the can Simon SaysVolleyball Hula hoop Musical chairs Bowling

GET MOVING TIP: Ask the children to demonstrate the active games they play.

Games are an important part of healthy development because they help children to:

• become strong and healthy

• develop their reflexes, reaction time and hand-eye coordination

• practice basic movements, such as running, hopping, throwing, etc., that will be helpful when they want to play sports and be active later in life

Educator Tip: The topic of childhood games can be integrated into lessons or discussions about different world cultures. All cultures have childhood games. Often these games help build basic motor and movement skills or behaviours throughout the children’s lives.

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Active transportation

Explain to children that walking, biking, rollerblading or skateboarding to school or to do chores is good for their health and for the environment.

Ask the children to name as many ways as possible to get from one place to another in their neighbourhood. First, ask them to think about ways of getting around in the summer, spring or fall (for example, walking, running, skipping, biking, rollerblading, skateboarding, etc.). Next, ask them if there are different ways of getting around during the winter (for example, skiing, skating and snowshoeing).

KEY MESSAGE: Active play is important for good health. There are lots of ways to play actively at school, at home or in your community.

KEY MESSAGE: It’s healthy for people and the environment to replace car trips with walking, biking or other forms of active transportation all year round.

GET MOVING TIP: Divide the children into groups. Ask them to act out different ways of moving around.

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Related Eat Well and Be Active Images

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Suggested Readings

Get Active Tip Sheet: Tips for children (5-11 years). Public Health Agency of Canada.

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for children.

Additional Resources

Active transportation, including safety

Active and Safe Routes to School. www.saferoutestoschool.ca/walking-school-bus www.walkingschoolbus.org www.hastebc.org/resources/active-and-safe-routes-school-cycling-resource-manual

Stepping it UP Teacher’s Guide (Gr. 4-8). This resource on active transportation, developed by Metrolinx, includes a Teacher’s Guide as well as videos.

Cops for Kids Safety. Canadian Police Association.

Important Notice: External Hyperlinks

This list contains links to third-party sites. Health Canada provides these links only as a service and convenience to our visitors. Health Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content. Health Canada does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.

Visitors should also be aware that information offered by non-Government of Canada websites to which Health Canada links is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites listed here. Visitors should research the privacy policies of these sites before providing personal information.

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Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Physical activity for children with disabilities

Physical Activity for People with Mobility Issues or Disabilities. Healthy U, Active Living, Government of Alberta.

Fundamental Movement Skills I: Active Start & FUNdamentals for Children with a Physical Disability. This resource is offered by Physical & Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) for teachers of children with disabilities. PHE Canada also produces a guide for teaching fundamental movement skills for teachers of children in kindergarten through grade 3 (ages 5 to 9 years). There is a fee for resources.

A Guidebook for Children’s Playspaces that are Accessible to Persons with Disabilities based on CAN/CSA-Z614-07 Annex. Available from the website of the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability.

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

Activity Plan #5 (children) www.health.gc.ca/eatwell-beactive

Eat Well and Be Active Educational Toolkit

Being Active in My Neighbourhood

ActivityHow many can do this in their neighbourhood

How many can’t do this in their neighbourhood

Walk or bike to school

Walk or bike to stores

Rollerblade or skateboard

Play street hockey or hopscotch

Play on swings, jungle gyms or

other playground equipment

Play team sports such as soccer,

hockey, baseball or t-ball

Swim in the summer

Swim all year round

Ski or skate in the winter

Skate all year round

Take lessons, such as gymnastics,

martial arts, dance, etc.

Other activities identified by

the group

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