Topics: Child development

“Back when we were kids…” Do you ever catch yourself telling stories to children about how play used to be? The freedom and friendships of the outdoors, and playing all day until the lights came on, were staples of childhood. It seems like forever since that kind of free play lived in neighbourhoods, and according … 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

From a sporting standpoint, the thing I enjoy most about coaching girls is the fact that they listen. They listen because they want to get it right. Getting it right is important because they want to be socially accepted, and in their early years of participation, social acceptance is their number one reason for getting … 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

Did you know that by age 14, girls are dropping out of sport at twice the rate of boys? Did you know that when matched for age and maturation, they are three to six times more likely than boys to sustain non-impact ACL injuries? And did you know that the main reason most girls play … Continued

I have many memories of silly pranks I played on my family for April Fool’s Day. I also remember the times I was pranked. I think our lives, and the world around us, might be just a bit better when filled with this kind of spontaneity and light-heartedness. Here’s a list of some ideas to get … Continued

As educators, it’s important to ensure children are introduced to physical literacy. Providing a variety of movement opportunities in as many different environments as possible inspires children to be active now and hopefully for life. In February, staff at École élémentaire publique Jeanne-Sauvé in Orleans, Ontario, created the Multisport Winter Festival to serve this purpose. We … Continued

About once a year a sharp pang of regret hits me. It’s most likely to strike on one of two occasions: in the winter after a big snowfall or out on the lake at a summer cottage. The two situations are vastly different, yet both stir up similar feelings of regret, embarrassment, and frustration. So, … Continued

In 2015, the Unama’ki Sport Association held its first Unama’ki Riders snowboarding program. The goal was to provide youth ages 12 to 18 with the opportunity to learn how to snowboard. Since then, the program has continued to grow and provides an opportunity for Aboriginal youth to be active throughout the winter months. Winner of … Continued