Physical Activity Education
Education empowers people to make healthier choices.
Educating children, staff, and parents about why physical activity is important helps them understands and make healthy choices in programs and at home. Teaching them how to reach physical activity recommendations also helps them to make changes that fit program, family, and individual child needs. A strong knowledge foundation can further support children as they grow and help prevent obesity and chronic diseases in the long term. Below you will find resources that can help you find physical education for you, your staff, the children you care for, and enrolled families.
Best Practices
Click any best practice goal below to find resources that can help child care programs promote physical activity education of children, families, and staff.
- “Offer planned physical activity education opportunities (motor skill development) for children 1 time per week or more.”
- “Offer physical activity information to parents 2 times per year or more.”
- “Provide training opportunities on physical activity (not including playground safety) for caregivers 2 times per year or more.”
Resources to: “Offer planned physical activity education opportunities (motor skill development) for children 1 time per week or more.”
- GO Noodle for Schools - Indoor Physical Activity Ideas
Summary: Ideas for indoor physical activity for providers in schools and child care.
Source: GO Noodle, Inc.
Access: https://www.gonoodle.com/
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the Go NAPSACC assessments opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the health best practices are and how to reach them at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Under the section of "Get Kids Moving," find children’s activities and adult resources such as curriculums for physical activity of children under 5, training for care givers, administrative resources, guides for adapting activities and spaces for children with disabilities, and more. Find a link to a yearlong calendar that includes simple physical activities for each day of the year, as well as a link to a resource booklet Best Practices for Physical Activity (pages 6-11) that gives some ideas for physical activity specific to each age.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/get-kids-moving/
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply the tips to a child care program for children ages 2 through 5 years old. See pages 63-68.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
- Physical Activity Cards
Summary: More than 100 physical activity cards for children ages 4-15 that can be downloaded and printed for free.
Source: University of Missouri Extension
Access: https://extension.missouri.edu/media/wysiwyg/Extensiondata/Pub/pdf/n862.pdf
- Physical Activity Cards for All Ages
Summary: 24 physical activity cards appropriate or adjustable for all ages that can be downloaded and printed for free.
Source: Alliance for Healthier Generation
Access: https://www.cacfp.org/assets/pdf/physical+activity+cards+for+all+ages/
- Physical Activity Toolkit for Preschool-Aged Children
Summary: A guide for early care and education centers to integrate and increase children’s physical activity throughout the day. Resources include planning and scheduling tools, sample activities, skill cards, do-it-yourself equipment tips, policy templates, and no-cost education resources.
Source: California Department of Public Health
Access: https://fsnep.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk2286/files/inline-files/ECE_PA_Toolkit.pdf
- Sesame Street: Healthy Habits for Life
Summary: Activities for providers, children, and families, some of which focus on nutrition and physical activity.
Source: Sesame Workshop
Access: https://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/learning-areas/health
Resources to: “Offer physical activity information to parents 2 times per year or more.”
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the Go NAPSACC assessments opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the health best practices are and how to reach them at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Under the section of "Get Kids Moving," find children’s activities and adult resources such as curriculums for physical activity of children under 5, training for care givers, administrative resources, guides for adapting activities and spaces for children with disabilities, and more. Find a link to a yearlong calendar that includes simple physical activities for each day of the year, as well as a link to a resource booklet Best Practices for Physical Activity (pages 6-11) that gives some ideas for physical activity specific to each age.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/get-kids-moving/
- Milestone Tracker Mobile App
Summary: Track and children’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with this easy-to-use check list. Includes a video and flyers explaining how to use the app.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones-app/
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply the tips to a child care program for children ages 2 through 5 years old. See pages 63-68.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
- Pennington Nutrition Series: Physical Activity Guidelines for Children
Summary: Handout that can be shared with parents explaining guidelines on physical activity for children and some research and facts about physical activity.
Source: Louisiana State University Ag Center Research and Extension-Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Access: http://www.pbrc.edu/pdf/PNS-physicalactivity.pdf
- Sesame Street: Healthy Habits for Life
Summary: Activities for providers, children, and families, some of which focus on nutrition and physical activity.
Source: Sesame Workshop
Access: https://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/learning-areas/health
Resources to: “Provide training opportunities on physical activity (not including playground safety) for caregivers 2 times per year or more.”
- Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
Summary: A guide for creating policies including rationale, steps for creating policies, and policy recommendations.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Access: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/nutrition/cacfp/ccpolicy/child_care_action_guide.pdf
- Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the Go NAPSACC assessments opens up a suite of planning, learning, and implementation tools to understand further what the health best practices are and how to reach them at your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Access: https://gonapsacc.org/our-focus-areas
- Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: Under the section of "Get Kids Moving," find children’s activities and adult resources such as curriculums for physical activity of children under 5, training for care givers, administrative resources, guides for adapting activities and spaces for children with disabilities, and more. Find a link to a yearlong calendar that includes simple physical activities for each day of the year, as well as a link to a resource booklet Best Practices for Physical Activity (pages 6-11) that gives some ideas for physical activity specific to each age.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Access: https://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/5-healthy-goals/get-kids-moving/
- Milestone Tracker Mobile App
Summary: Track and children’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with this easy-to-use check list. Includes a video and flyers explaining how to use the app.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Access: https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones-app/
- MiRegistry Course Catalog
Summary: By entering “physical activity" or "gross motor skills" in the “Course Title, Competency, or Qualification” search box, professional development classes related to physical activity will appear. Click on “View Course Detail” for each class to read more.
Source: MiRegistry
Access: https://go.miregistry.org/CourseCatalog.aspx
- Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply the tips to a child care program for children ages 2 through 5 years old. See pages 63-68.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Access: https://www.yoursforchildren.com/nutrition-resources/TeamNutrition/Nutrition%20&%20Wellness%20Tips%20for%20Young%20Children%20--%20English.pdf
- Pennington Nutrition Series: Physical Activity Guidelines for Children
Summary: Handout that can be shared with parents explaining guidelines on physical activity for children and some research and facts about physical activity.
Source: Louisiana State University Ag Center Research and Extension-Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Access: http://www.pbrc.edu/pdf/PNS-physicalactivity.pdf
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