Skill: Hop

The snow is gone, the birds are singing, and my kids are full of energy. Thankfully, spring offers many opportunities for children to get moving outdoors.

According to early childhood education expert Dawne Clark, the key is to create an enriching home environment that invites physically active play.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, you can still have family fun at home over the Easter weekend with these activity ideas.

Puddles provide kids with opportunities to learn about movement, the natural world, and play. Here are some tips for soaking up puddle fun.

Get straight to the “merry and bright” portion of your holiday without having to scramble for the perfect gift. With the holiday season just around the corner, here are our picks for the best new active toys that will help develop your children’s physical literacy and keep them moving into the new year and beyond. … Continued

The Active for Life fortune teller inspires movement, from balancing on one foot to catching a ball to crab-walking.

My youngest son, Cam, has always been full of surprises. With a flair for the dramatic, Cam decided that he would make his grand entrance into the world more than 12 weeks early. With the ensuing medical issues, including collapsed lungs, chronic lung disease, infections, viruses, heart concerns, and prolonged gastrointestinal and feeding issues, his … Continued

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

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

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

In partnership with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) Recreation Department, the Shred Sirens is an all-female skateboarding group that runs out of Youth Centre in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. The group grew out of an existing beginner skateboard program run by the CBRM Recreation Department. It takes place year-round: in the summer month, at municipal skateboard parks across the community and in the … Continued

DOWNLOAD PLAYBOOK PDF Day 1: Hopscotch Skill: Hop 20 minutes This activity develops dynamic balance, coordination, and rhythm required for activities at older ages such as running, skipping, hopping, and dancing. More» Day 2: Underhand Catch Skill: Catch 15 minutes This activity develops hand-eye coordination, fine motor control, and the ability to track moving objects … Continued

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

DOWNLOAD PLAYBOOK PDF Day 1: Bowling Milk Cartons Skill: Throw 30 minutes This activity develops coordination of arms and torso, fine motor control, and the ability to “read” distances. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve throwing an object accurately over a perceived distance (e.g., balls, frisbees, ribbons, sticks, batons). More» Day 2: … Continued

Creating space opens us up to more activity

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

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

Fun indoor ideas for your week-long break

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

42 awesome ideas to enjoy fun outdoors this season!

This game will keep kids active this holiday

These cool ideas make the most of a warm place to play

Check out our 2017 holiday gift guide

Mastering physical literacy on land builds solid foundation