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What You Can Do - Children & Families
What You Can Do - Children & Families
Be Aware:
that every bit of physical activity is important, and more is better.
that physical activity and
active play
is essential for healthy growth and development.
·of the type of physical activity appropriate to your child’s age and stage. Keep it fun and free from stress or competition.
that families play a key role in role modeling, providing praise and being involved.
that regular physical activity which increases heart rate and breathing, benefits the mind and body of school-aged children.
·of the
24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth
which includes recommendations for physical activity, time spent sitting and sleep.
·of physical activity and healthy communities information/resources available to you and your community by contacting the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit “Your Health Connection” line at 705-721-7520 or toll free at 1-877-721-7520.
Make It Easy:
for your children to enjoy active play every day.
for your children to find ways to make physical activity part of their daily routine such as
walking/cycling with them to school
.
by helping children to establish adequate physical activity patterns in early childhood as this will have an impact on them later in life.
by parking the car and walking part of the way to your destination.
by ensuring time for unstructured physical activity in
outdoor play spaces
,
parks and playgrounds
.
by providing opportunities and encouragement for your children to participate in organized sport and other unstructured physical activity programs.
by teaching your children that physical activity can be fun and not a chore.Try something new and adventurous.
to limit the amount of time spent sitting by getting active as a family in the
after school hours
and on the weekend.
Be Involved:
in role modeling. Your children watch and learn from you. Show them how easy and fun daily activity can be.
in helping your child to develop
fundamental movement skills/physical literacy
so they become confident and competent in a wide variety of activity settings.
in setting limits on screen time.
in taking regular physical activity/stretch breaks during long road trips.
in activity together as a family. Explore local
parks
and
trails
.
in supporting your child’s school with physical activity initiatives.
in seeking investments in physical activity equipment at your child’s school.
in supporting
active and safe routes to school
and a walking school bus.
but give your children the opportunity to choose what they would like to do and how they want to be active.
Speak Out:
by talking with your mayor or ward councilor about a
healthy community design
that supports you and your family to safely walk and cycle to places.
for well-designed and maintained neighbourhood parks, natural areas and green space that enable children to safely explore and play.
by asking about no cost/low cost physical activity programming in your community.
for school policies that support physical activity programs and resources.
for school play areas, equipment and facilities that support safe and active play.
to ensure your child is provided with daily physical activity at school.
for school support to organize an
Active and Safe Routes to School program
.
for traffic calming measures and car-free zones at your child’s school.
for secure bike racks in a highly visible location at your child’s school.
by asking childcare providers how they support daily physical activity and physical literacy development for your pre-school children.
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