The evidence is in: Physical literacy in childcare benefits children, parents and ECEs
According to a Canadian study in early child care centres, the benefits of adding more active play time into daily routines are more than just physical.
Early Childhood Education
Activities to improve babies’ and young children’s physical literacy are easy to plan, simple to do, and require no special equipment. When early childhood educators (ECEs) and parents include lots of time for physically active play — especially outdoors — in their daily routines, children are healthier, happier, and better behaved.
In this video, researchers, educators, and parents share their opinion on AfL’s Physical Literacy Proof of Concept Study in Child Care Settings. The study group that received physical literacy programming demonstrated a wide range of cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits for children, educators, and parents.
Read the articles on this page to learn more about what the research says about the impact of physical literacy programming in early childhood education, and discover some simple strategies to ensure children get lots of time for active play, every day.
For early years educators: Physical literacy can be easy
Check out the free early years resources
APPLE Model helps early childhood educators incorporate physical literacy
The model was developed as a framework to help ECEs understand how to incorporate physical literacy into their playrooms and playgrounds.
Why natural playgrounds are essential for young children
These spaces offer valuable opportunities for the development of physical literacy and for experimentation.
Early brain development webinar series
This is a series webinars (3) presented by Dr. Dawne Clark of the Early Years Physical literacy Research Team. The webinar provides an overview of selected modules from the online Child and Out Brain Development course, and are used with permission from the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative. Webinar #1: The Core Story Webinar #2: The impact of … Continued
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How integrating outdoor play into the school day benefits children
Related read: 7 kid-friendly games to play on trail walks and nature hikes Outdoor programming in our pre-kindergarten classrooms At Edmonton Catholic Schools, physical literacy and outdoor programming are a priority for our 100 Voices children. Physical literacy encompasses physical, cognitive, social, and emotional wellness. At our Genesis School, this is fostered in a unique … Continued
Emergent curriculum: How to adapt early childhood activities to meet kids’ interests
Our “groundhog maze” brings active learning to life I introduced the activity by reading the storybook Ten Grouchy Groundhogs by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook. We talked about the legend of Groundhog Day and looked at pictures of real groundhogs. The children learned about groundhog behaviour, such as living in a burrow and hibernating in … Continued
Active for Life is studying the benefits of physical literacy programming for the early years
AfL to study physical activity at child care centres
Active for Life continues to study preschool physical literacy programming
Thanks to funding from the federal government, the Early Years Physical Literacy Research Team will move on to phase two.
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Ready, Aim, Kick! to the rescue One particularly difficult day, we tried an activity called Ready, Aim, Kick! (see Activity #6) from the APPLE Seeds program. This robust program introduces physical literacy skills in a sequential way within everyday play. Ready, Aim, Kick! involves playing kicking games using targets and a variety of materials, including pylons, … Continued
Physical Literacy Proof of Concept in Child Care Study Parent/Guardian Information
The childcare centre your child(ren) attends has chosen to be part of a study that will explore the benefits for young children of quality physical literacy programming in childcare centres. What are physical activity and physical literacy? Physical activity is movement that increases heart rate, breathing, and causes a light sweat. Physical literacy is the … Continued
No stroller potatoes! Why babies need active play every day
According to the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines, babies and toddlers should not be restrained in strollers or seats for more than an hour at a time.
Inspire active, creative free play with natural playgrounds
In contrast to typical metal or plastic play structures, natural playgrounds are designed to take advantage of landscaping and organic materials.
How educators can use the APPLE Model
The model helps early childhood educators incorporate activities that will encourage young children to develop physical literacy.
The brain-building benefits of physical literacy
We’ve been studying how providing early childhood educators with physical literacy training affects the children in their care.
Movement and learning: How does that work?
Some schools and early childhood centres are using movement-based instruction to help kids learn better while promoting their development.