Active Body, Healthy Mind

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it is easier to become more active. Physical activity is very important to keep people of all ages healthy! Being active can even make for a healthier brain. That is why it is key for kids to enjoy recess and other physical activity in and out of school.

For schools, springtime is also standardized test season. Encourage your child’s teacher to add in extra physical activity to help kids stay focused. In addition to extra recess, teachers can help kids be more active with indoor recess or brain breaks. The ideas in this blog have been taken from the FSNE Toolkit, which lists several physical activity resources for teachers. Parent volunteers can help lead and organize these activities too! Most of these activity ideas take 3-5 minutes each. Choose more than one activity if there’s enough time.

• Take a 5-minute walk before a test.
• Ask students True/False questions. Assign a movement for each answer. For example, jump in place for 15 seconds if the answer is true. Touch toes for 15 seconds if false.
• Roll an activity die. Each number can represent a movement, such as jumping jacks, running in place, etc. Do the activity for 30 seconds, then roll again. 
  
• Play a kid’s dance video.
• Divide into groups of 3-4 students and have them create and perform a touchdown dance.
• Play Aerobic Rock, Paper, Scissors 

Bring these ideas home! Physical activity after school also helps kids focus better on homework and sleep