Author: AFL Team

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

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 way since our classrooms are in alternative spaces in partnership with the City … Continued

Parents can insist sports clubs train and screen all coaches

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

In Winnipeg, early childhood educators and caregivers are learning how to address a whole new dimension of infant and toddler development: physical literacy. Recently, the Access and Engagement & Physical Literacy working committees from the Winnipeg Community Sport Policy saw the need to promote physical literacy as a means to combat health risks for children … Continued

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

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

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

US Lacrosse is advocating a new approach to developing its youngest players: physical literacy warm-ups. Led by personal trainer Brett Klika’s work, US Lacrosse is promoting the idea of adding movement-based exercises to practices in order to develop greater all-round movement skills and athleticism. The exercises involve creative movement circuits where young players are invited to … Continued

Here’s one activity my kids loved when I was teaching them letter recognition. And it’s been adapted for toddlers through to preschool. Hop A Letter If the weather is good, bust out the sidewalk chalk. If not, get out the painter’s tape and move the coffee table. Choose six to eight letters and letter combos, … Continued