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>Featured Activity: Why this camp encourages child-led play in nature Why this camp encourages child-led play in nature
On a summer afternoon, you might find four-year-olds digging in the mud with sticks while six-year-olds toss stones into a creek and eight-year-olds climb trees or build a fort. Welcome to the Into the Wild nature camp at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alta., where unstructured, child-led, risky play is the name of the … Continued
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>Featured Activity: Celebrate Bike to School Week with these tips Celebrate Bike to School Week with these tips
Did you know that Bike to School Week is happening in communities across Canada from May 27 to 31 this year? Celebrate by encouraging your child or student to ride to school this week and beyond. When done safely, cycling to and from school leads to children who are healthy, happy, and ready to study from fresh air … Continued
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>Featured Activity: 49 fun physical activities to do with kids aged 2 to 4 49 fun physical activities to do with kids aged 2 to 4
If you have a little one under 5 years old at home, then you’ve experienced what it’s like to try to keep up with an energetic toddler or preschooler. But did you know that kids this age need three hours of physical activity a day? Children between 2-4 years old don’t only need a lot … Continued
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Build your own physical literacy lesson plans
As a teacher, do you want to help children develop physical literacy? Would you like an easy shortcut for creating your own lesson plans to do so? Luckily, there’s a range of excellent free resources available at Active for Life. One of the most useful is Active for Life’s (AfL) Interactive Online Lesson Plan Builder. While AfL’s pre-made … Continued
New abuse-reporting hotline promotes safe sport
The Canadian Sport Helpline is a new initiative to ensure that all Canadians participating in sport can do so in a safe and welcoming environment, regardless of the role they play. Safe sport is everyone’s responsibility, and the national toll-free helpline offers assistance to victims and witnesses of harassment, abuse, discrimination, and bullying. In its … Continued
“The Grizzlies” film showcases the power of sport—and hope
Physical activity as a powerful and positive social outlet Sheppard, a lacrosse player, decides to start up a team to provide his students with physical activity and a positive social outlet. It takes some convincing—“I don’t like to run,” one boy tells Sheppard—but the Kugluktuk Grizzlies are born. At practices, Sheppard shows them how to … Continued
How to help children connect with nature
We live in a world overflowing with technology. Cars talk to us, phones entertain us, houses are “smart,” and wristwatches monitor our vitals. Are we living in Brave New World or 1984? Whichever we imagine, one thing is certain: our attachment to technology strains our connection with nature. Staying connected to the natural world is … Continued
Active for Life podcast: Dr. John Cairney on the importance of physical literacy
Dr. John Cairney wears many hats. He’s a professor in the kinesiology and physical education faculty at the University of Toronto, as well as director of the Infant and Child Health Lab at both U of T and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. He’s also the chair of Sport for Life’s research group for physical … Continued
One piece of chalk, 8 active games
Imaginative games to keep youngsters moving
“Rez Girls 64” reminds us what really matters in sport
The Eabametoong First Nation’s girls hockey team plays their first game
10 creative ways to develop physical literacy that don’t involve playing sports
Kids disinclined to play sports can still enjoy activities that develop fundamental movement skills
How to play Ultimate Frisbee with your kids
Simple rules, almost no equipment, and lots of fun