Mirror Mirror
This activity develops coordination and balance as kids try to imitate the movements of their parent or play partner.
Skip to My Lou
This activity develops dynamic balance, coordination, and rhythm required for activities at older ages such as running, skipping, hopping, and dancing.
Top 20 engaging indoor activities for 6 year olds
Explore 20 engaging indoor activities for 6-year-olds, from sock ball rolls to balloon keep-ups. Perfect for fun-filled days indoors!
15 retro activities for a fun-filled summer
These awesome activities are simple, low-cost, and tech-free. They’re sure to get your child outside and having fun this summer.
1 skipping rope, 8 fun activities
A skipping rope is such a versatile toy! Check out these eight fun games your kids can play with one indoors or out.
Skipping: Tips, benefits & 6 cool tricks you can do with a skipping rope
Here’s how to help your child master the basics of a skipping rope, so they can then try these six fun tricks!
What are fundamental movement skills?
In discussions of physical literacy, you’ll often hear talk of “fundamental movement skills.” What exactly are they?
“Window walks” and other ways to jazz up your neighbourhood stroll
Even while social distancing, families can get out for walks in their neighbourhood. Here are some ideas to keep things fun and fresh.
12 active learning games to beat the “summer slide”
The summer slide. I’m not talking about the park or water variety. It’s the worry parents and teachers have that kids may lose some of their educational progress while on summer vacation. Will all their knowledge go slip-sliding away? We know that kids learn social skills, teamwork, and physical skills through play. But what if we … 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
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
Playbooks provide 12 days of active fun for kids, parents, and caregivers
Games and activities for the whole family
AfL playbook: 3 – 5 year olds
DOWNLOAD PLAYBOOK PDF Day 1: Tightrope Skill: Balance 15 minutes This activity develops coordination and balance as kids try to walk a straight line on a rope lying on the ground. More» Day 2: Mirror Mirror Skill: Agility, Balance, Hop, Jump, Run, Skip 10 minutes This activity develops coordination and balance as kids try to … Continued
Decluttering clears the way for more movement
Creating space opens us up to more activity
Try these sprinkler games for some cool summer fun
It’s summer! If you’re looking for the perfect ingredients for backyard fun, add a pinch of friends and family, a dash of laughter, a smidge of silly, a dab of imagination, and a sprinkle of … sprinklers! Sun and waterplay go together like lemonade and ice cubes. When the temperatures go up, kids love to … Continued
Developing movement skills at a young age is crucial to well-being
It is crucial that our children develop skills at an early age. Inactivity negatively impacts a very important feedback loop – children who are active develop movement skills; skill building boosts confidence; confident children are motivated to seek skill-building activities across a variety of situations. This feedback loop of skill, confidence, and motivation describes how … Continued
20 ways to keep kids busy at home during spring break
Need some ideas for how to keep kids active and entertained over the break? Look no further!
Invitation to parents: Share these resources with your child’s daycare
We all know that physical activity is essential for developing healthy bodies and brains in early childhood. And if you have an infant, toddler, or preschooler in child care, you may also know that physical activity is supported by physical literacy—the physical competence and confidence to be physically active. Physical literacy is just one of … Continued
Try this active winter bucket list
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Dec. 21, 2015. It was last updated on Feb. 16, 2023. I’ve always encouraged my kids to help create a family summer bucket list. It’s lots of fun. It gives us some amazing summer aspirations. And it means we have easy access to ideas when we aren’t … Continued
Try our Winter Break Bingo printable
This fun and active bingo printable is a great way for kids to get moving over the winter holidays!
21 fun and active games for kids to play on the beach
These cool ideas make the most of a warm place to play
1 piece of chalk, 8 active games
Imaginative games to keep youngsters moving
7 things to do with a hula hoop
Discover all the fun ways to use the classic device
6 ways to develop movement skills at the park
Get outdoors and discover all that spring has to offer