Best of 2019: The top 10 articles of the year on Active for Life

It’s been a great year here at Active for Life. In 2019, over 1.5 million parents and professionals visited our website to find inspiration for ways to get kids active, explore our physical literacy activities for kids, and download our easy-to-use lesson plans and other resources. We are proud of our accomplishments, and in the new year, we hope to engage even more parents, professionals, and the kids they care for. 

Top 10 most popular articles of 2019

1. 21 fun and active games for kids to play on the beach – Just what it sounds like, ideas for everything from making a “sandman” to creating a mini golf challenge with those little plastic dollar store clubs. Bonus: there’s a list of some of Canada’s most notable beaches for those looking for a little vacation inspiration.
2. Can you guess the one thing most elite athletes have in common? – No spoilers, but it starts with “multi” and ends in “sport” …
3. Running: How to teach kids to sprint correctly – Most kids have never been taught how to run properly, but it turns out you don’t have to be a natural born sprinter to run well.
4. 10 fun ways you can transform the game of tag – There’s no better way to get kids moving than with fun and goofy games. When “you’re it” isn’t enough to cut it, try variations like bandaid tag, animal tag, or even colour tag in your local pool.
5. 49 fun physical activities to do with kids aged 2 to 4 – It’s no wonder this one is popular—children are adorable balls of energy at this age and need lots of opportunities to run, hop, jump, and play, inside and out.
6. 7 things to do with a hula hoop – Ideas for games and challenges to do more than just wiggle your hips, and even some suggestions on ways you can repurpose broken hoops!
7. 12 active games to make your Halloween party a hit – Pumpkin-tossing, mummy running, ghost-sack-racing …
8. 10 fun ways to add activity to your Easter – Bunny-hopping games, new twists on the traditional egg hunt, and ideas for an Easter parade are a few of the fun ways you can get kids moving on this holiday.
9. 14 games kids in casts can do to stay active – At some point in their childhoods, most kids will experience a broken bone, sprain, or other injury. While resting the limb is an important part of recovery, at some point kids get restless. With a little creativity, parents can help kids find ways to play without stressing the injured arm or leg.
10. All schools can get moving with “don’t walk in the hallway” decals – This program, launched in Alberta back in 2015, is a genius way to encourage kids to jump, skip, or hop to their classrooms—one study found students in participating schools took an extra 1,000 steps per day!

Bonus: 5 of our favourite Active for Life articles

It’s cool to see which articles get a lot of traffic from Google searches and social shares, but the Active for Life team also has our favourites! Here are a few:

1. How to connect with your neighbours through play – We strongly believe getting kids out to play in their neighbourhoods is a big part of the solution to the inactivity crisis in this generation. When we know they’re surrounded by friendly neighbours, it makes it a lot easier to let kids roam, run, jump, climb, and play in their neighbourhoods.
2. Documentary examines children’s independent mobility – This online short documentary examines the challenges parents face in allowing their children to move and play freely in the world. It looks at parental fear over the safety of their children, and it discusses the critical importance of independent mobility in developing children’s confidence, decision-making, and physical health.
3. Girls having fun in Skateistan, Afghanistan – This inspiring online video spotlights a Kabul-based non-profit that teaches girls how to skateboard.
4. The confidence formula – When kids are developing movement skills, they often lack confidence in their ability. We can help by keeping the focus on fun, praising their effort and resilience (not just their accomplishments) and commenting on the progress they have made, so kids believe they can learn how to run faster, jump higher, kick more accurately, or build the arm strength they need to cross the monkey bars.
5. Are youth sports too serious? – For years, Active for Life has promoted the key message to parents, coaches, and sport organizations that we must make youth sports more fun so that kids stay in sport. We were thrilled to see one of Canada’s largest fast food chains advertise this key message to millions of Canadians in an adorable video ad released this year. Plus, it has puppies!