Skip the Screens

Key Message

Skip the screens and make a healthy choice!

Objectives

Identify “screen time” as time spent on electronic devices.
Identify a minimum of 3 physical activity choices to replace screen time.
Apply a variety of motor skills and movement patterns to station activities.

Preparation

Safety: Allow enough space to move freely and minimize collisions.
Ensure equipment and materials are properly cleaned.
Determine boundaries that are a safe distance from obstacles and walls.
Determine how you will group learners, using best practice guidelines from Effective Strategies for Grouping Learners.
Set up cones and Skip the Screens Move Cards throughout the activity area (see Activity instructions and diagram.)
Be prepared to demonstrate fitBoost activity and fitFlow yoga.
Share the Family Fun Jar Décor Kit with families for fun activity ideas that families can do to replace screen time.

Warm Up

Begin with a fitBoost.

Captivate

Partner learners. Use guidelines in Effective Strategies for Grouping Learners blog for options to set up partners. Learners stand on opposite sides of a line, approximately 10 to 15 feet apart. Call out an action from the list below. Learners then walk (or teacher-selected locomotor movement) to the center to meet their partner. After completing the action, each partner returns to their original place.

Say: Let’s talk about how we can move throughout the day!
1. Meet your partner in the middle and tell them your favorite recess game, then do a right-handed high five or elbow bump and go back to your starting place.
2. Meet your partner in the middle and tell them your favorite PE activity, then do a right-handed high five, and follow with a left-handed high five (or right and left elbow bumps).
3. Meet your partner in the middle and tell them your favorite physical activity when you are not at school. Do a right-handed high five, and a left-handed high five, and a two-handed high five (or elbow bumps)!

Educate

You just told each other about ways you choose to be active. Did anyone mention a video game, TV, computer, or another form of screen time?

Screen time can interfere with physical activity. Today we are going to learn more about all the things we can do, instead of screen time, to move throughout the day.

The number one thing you need to know is that replacing screen time with physical activity will benefit your body and brain!

Let’s get moving!

Activate

Place a Skip the Screens Move Card underneath cones with throughout the activity area. Set up enough cones so learners work in pairs. Depending on the number of learners, you may have more than one cone for each activity:

Skip around the play area.
Go get a drink of water.
Bounce-pass a ball.
Jump rope (or jump over ropes).
Toss a beanbag.
Walk backward around the play area.
Toss and catch scarves.
Do a Hula-Hoop dance with your partner.
Do a yoga flow. (Include a fitFlow yoga card.)
Do a fitBoost. (Include a set of three fitBoost cards.)

Play music. Learners mingle around the cones. When the music stops, they go to the nearest cone, only 2 people per cone.
Play a round of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The person who doesn’t win flips the cone to reveal the task. Partners complete the task together.
After 1 to 2 minutes, play music again to signal partners to high five or elbow bump one another, then begin to walk and mingle again.
When the music stops, learners pair with a new partner and repeat the Rock, Paper, Scissors activity. Again, the person who doesn’t win flips the cone, and the partners complete the task.
Continue play for allotted time.

Close the Lesson

Partner learners.
Select a fitFlow card and complete poses.
While stretching, ask learners to reflect on the many ways they moved during the activity. Point out that each activity was something they can do to replace screen time.

Q: Today, I was a health helper who helped you learn about ways to replace screen time with healthy movement activities. Can you name some other health helpers that can help you make healthy choices?
A: Trusted adults and professionals who can serve as health helpers. (e.g., family, teachers, PE teacher, counselor, school nurse, food service helpers, etc.).

Q: What was our lesson about today?
A: Replacing screen time with an activity.

Q: Tell your partner 3 things you can do to replace screen time.
A: Listen for examples of physical activities that can be easily done throughout the day.

Challenge

Name 3 ways you will move today.

What You'll Need

Resources

Materials

Cones or Place Markers
Beanbags
Hula Hoops
Jump ropes
Balls of various sizes for throwing and catching

Health Education Standards

Standard 1: Use functional health information to support health and well-being
Standard 2: Analyze influences that affect health and well-being
Standard 6: Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being
Standard 7: Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being
Standard 8: Advocate to promote health and well-being for self and others

Social and Emotional Learning Competencies

Responsible Decision-Making

Physical Education Standards

Standard 1: Develops a variety of motor skills
Standard 2: Applies knowledge related to movement and fitness concepts
Standard 3: Develops social skills through movement
Standard 4: Develops personal skills, identifies personal benefits of movement, and chooses to engage in physical activity

Extend the Lesson

The fit lesson, Move Your Body, teaches kids about the importance of moving throughout the day.
Watch What Happens to Your Body when you Watch Screens to learn why move time is better for your body than screen time.
Print the Move ABCs Poster for fun ways to get some extra movement in your day.
Read Physical Activity Matters to learn more about the benefits of physical activity for mental and emotional health.

Adaptations and Modifications

Adapt locomotor skills and movement patterns to learners' needs, interests, and abilities. Read our full list of inclusive ideas for Adapting Games for Every Learner.
Seated Exercise: Adapt stations where instead of skipping, learners can do arm movements or use hand weights.
Sensory Modifications: Ensure the music volume is at a comfortable level and not too loud.
Use one of our short videos for your daily PE warmup or cooldown!
- fit Workouts: YouTube Playlist

Take me to the full list of fitGames.