Canada’s Physical Activity Guides recommend at least 90 minutes of daily physical activity for children and youth. That may seem like a lot. But think of it this way: 30 minutes of activity each day with the family, 30 minutes in the community, and 30 minutes at school.

Across Alberta, school communities (parents, teachers, neighbours, and kids) are promoting active living to help children stay healthy and learn better. Their approaches include

• getting children to and from school using active forms of transportation;
• supporting active living programs during the school day, such as
  • daily physical education,
  • scheduling activity time,
  • increasing activity in core classes, and
  • access to after-school programs;
• providing physical activity resources for teachers.

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Getting to and from School

Many parents today drive their kids to school. This means that the kids miss out on a great opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise and to spend time with their family and friends. Some schools are responding by starting active transportation programs (e.g., walking or wheeling as a group) to and from school.

One model is called the Walking School Bus. Adult volunteers acting as “bus drivers” pick up students from around the neighbourhood and walk with them to school. These volunteers are often seniors who benefit from the exercise and enjoy being with children.

When children live too far from school to join a walking bus, their parents can take them to preset “drop-off zones” a short distance away from the school. An adult volunteer meets the students at the drop-off point and walks with them to school.

To help children who come to school on bikes, roller blades, or skateboards, schools

• provide a safe place to store equipment during the school day;
• designate a “wheeled” entrance to the school grounds;
• educate parents and children about the correct safety gear for each form of transportation.

Active Living during the School Day

Alberta Education has a new Daily Physical Activity (DPA) program for kids in grades 1 to 9. All students in the province must have 30 minutes of physical activity every day at school.

Schools are achieving this goal in a variety of ways. Below, you’ll see two examples of DPA programs that are working well.

• One large junior high school with over 600 students has made a commitment to offer 55 minutes of physical education each day. Staff use every available space: the gym, stage, new fitness room, lunch room, and even space in the community.
• An elementary school offers physical education classes three times a week to all its students. On days that a group of students does not have a PE class, their teacher provides them with 30 minutes of some other type of physical activity in different places around the school such as the playground, skating rink, classroom, and outdoor fields.

Schools can also support active living programs before or after regular school hours. Activity clubs, sports teams, open gym times, and family activity events (e.g., family dances and dance lessons, beach ball games, and hiking) are just a few of the possibilities. School staff, parents, or community volunteers can run these programs, and the costs are often low.

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Resources for Teachers

The free resources below offer excellent ideas for teachers about active living programs in schools. (Click on the links to these resources in the LEARN MORE section.)

• The Activity Calendar from Schools Come Alive suggests activity ideas for classroom teachers and families for each day of the year. Each month is organized around a theme from the United Nations 2005 Year of Physical Education and Sport.
• Alberta Education’s Daily Physical Activity Handbook offers practical, teacher-tested activities for the classroom, gym, and outdoors.
• International Walk to School Day sponsored by Go for Green is a great way to kick off a school’s new commitment to active forms of transportation.
• The SummerActive School Resource Guide (available on Ever Active Schools’ website) provides physical activity and healthy eating information for parents, teachers, and community leaders to support healthy lifestyles in schools.

Parents Can Play Their Part

Parents can influence the amount of activity in a school by

• running an after-school program or in-class instruction for special activities such as yoga, t’ai chi, or other activities in which they are qualified.
• ensuring their child has running shoes and comfortable clothing for activity at school;
• volunteering to help teachers supervise school teams and clubs;
• helping to plan an inclusive intramural program, so all students can participate in activities where fun counts more than the score!

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Learn More

Alberta Education
Alberta Education offers an overview of the Daily Physical Activity Initiative and a downloadable copy of the DPA handbook for grades 1 to 9.

Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD)
Visit CAHPERD’s website for advocacy materials for parents and questions to ask your child’s teachers.

Ever Active Schools
Ever Active Schools offers “Promising Practices,” a resource with practical ideas for promoting healthy behaviour in schools. This site also links to the SummerActive
School Resource Guide.

Go for Green
Active and Safe Routes to School is a national program that promotes active transportation to and from school.

Safe, Healthy, Active, People Everywhere (SHAPE)
SHAPE’s website offers you ideas for safe and active routes to school.

Schools Come Alive
Visit Schools Come Alive for professional development information and online resources for physical and health education teachers.