Tips to Help Kids Be Active During the Day

Too often, physical activity is presented as exercise, exercise, and more exercise. Exercise is great; however, there are many ways to move and get the benefits of exercise and have fun at the same time. What’s most important is that youth get the recommended hour or more of physical activity each day. The lessons in this unit encourage kids to play, participate in a game or sport, and do leisure activities (e.g., go for a walk). It all adds up! Make the fit choice to move many times, many ways, and in many places each day.

Tell kids to think about their favorite exercise. Next, have them stand up and try to do that exercise for 20 seconds. Then have students share and teach their exercise to a partner.

Find Examples of Ways to Get Up and Move

Get your kids moving with a fun brain break! Play some music while kids move or dance. When the music is paused, the kids freeze in their positions.

Make a List of Your Kids' Favorite Ways to Move

Health experts recommend that kids get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Ten minutes here and there add up quickly!
List your students' top 10 move choices or challenge your students to expand the list to 60 ways to move in 60 minutes.
Optional: Download How Can You Move? poster.

Kids Plan Ways They Will Move

Download the My Move Timeline for students to create their own timeline of ways they will choose to move throughout their day.

Now that we’ve learned different ways to get up and move our bodies, let’s get ready to learn new ways to make moving fun.