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Awareness & National Days Calendar - 2023 Marketing Events Planner

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The most comprehensive calendar of awareness events from the UK, US and across the world. View, download, sync and embed the awareness calendar with the Awareness Days toolkit.

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by Chrissy Carroll

Nearly 30% of kids are overweight or obese

Approximately 70% of kids don't get the recommended one hour of physical activity each day

70-80% of kids that participate in organized sports drop out by the age of 14 or earlier

Just 4% of schools have daily physical education

Sweat and Smiles - what a great name for a workshop focused on fitness activities for kids! I attended this workshop at IDEA World and wanted to share some of the information I learned. Even if you're not in the fitness field, there are plenty of opportunities for those passionate about fitness to promote fun exercises for kids. Think of all the different settings this is useful - schools, after-school programs, daycare settings, at-home(hello, snow days), etc.

Before I delve into some of the physical activities and games, I wanted to touch on the WHY. WHY is it important to get kids moving? Here are some staggering statistics that the speaker, Brett Klika from SPIDERfit kids, shared about kids and exercise:

What does this mean? Many kids aren't exercising, and those that are most likely play sports and will at some point probably drop out.

Kids just aren't playing anymore for exercise. It seems that the days are gone where you got home from school and played street hockey or tag outside with friends. If you have kids who do this, yay! But many kids aren't, and replace this playing with sedentary activities. In fact, average estimates for screen time (tv, computer, and video games) among school age kids in the US are now around 7-8 hours a day. This is likely somewhat inflated because it probably includes lumped hours of multitasking (like 2 hours surfing the internet while watching TV for 2 hours turns into 4 hours of screen time) - but even if it's somewhat inflated, it still way exceeds the 2 hour total recommended limit.

While I strongly believe parents should encourage kids to play outside - I don't think that's going to solve our problem completely. Think about kids that are left alone afterschool, or kids that live in areas where it may not be safe to play alone outside.

Because of these issues, we also need to start promoting fun exercises for kids in new ways, whether that's in a greater commitment to physical education in the schools (and not "we're going to play kickball and if you don't want to play just sit on the side"), innovative before and after-school programs (like BOKS, for example), or community fitness programs.

This doesn't mean structured "training" programs with kids. We definitely want to put the "play" back into childhood fitness. Let's just offer it in a defined setting though (like the school or community center) so that more kids and parents have the chance to get involved.

That's what the Sweat and Smiles session was all about - using games and play to get kids moving. It also focused on physical activities that really target motor skills and coordination. We ran through a lot of the fitness activities for kids ourselves (and yes, it's just as fun as a grown-up).

Here are 5 fun exercises for kids...

1. Clothespin Chase Game

We each got a clothespin and tagged it on our shirt. You had to go around to as many people as possible and try to get their clothespins and pin them to your shirt. The person with the most clothespins at the end is the winner.

2. Partner Jumps

We paired up and then were challenged to demonstrate jumping a short, then medium, then long distance. We had to synchronize with our partner and try to jump the same distances at the same time next to each other, without talking. Think about the skills used - estimating distance, working as a team, movement in different directions - there's a lot going on here.

3. Skipping Game

It's amazing how many kids lack the basic skill of skipping (which is actually important for coordination and running). In this game, we had to skip but couldn't do more than two skips in the same direction. It was fun with so many people around the room, trying not to hit anyone else as we continuously changed directions.

4. Shark Chomp Game

We had to run and huddle into groups of a certain number, and if you were left without a group the shark might come and "chomp" you. We did groups of 6, 3, 5, and 2.

5. Circuit Challenge

We broke into groups and did a circuit that included a minute or two of each of the following:
a. Throw a medicine ball in the air, spin around, and catch it.
b. Use an agility ladder.
c. Take 3 giant steps back from a cone, then try to hop 5 equal size jumps and land right at the cone.
d. Hit a balloon in the air with your right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot. Depending on skill level, kids can then add in spins, twists, etc to make it tougher.
Share with me: Do you work with any kids fitness programs? What are your favorite fun exercises for kids?
You can see all of these activities involve cardiovascular and/or muscular fitness, as well as coordination, but in a fun non-intimidating way. I loved it!

If you're passionate about kids fitness, check out local kids fitness programs and see if you can work or volunteer with them (like BOKS or Girls on the Run). Or, consider starting your own program to help local kids! Are you a personal trainer? Consider checking out the resources at SPIDERfit or those available through your certification organization (like ACE or ACSM).

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5 Fun Exercises for Kids! {Games and Physical Activities} - Snacking in Sneakers

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by Chrissy Carroll Nearly 30% of kids are overweight or obese Approximately 70% of kids don't get the recommended one hour of physical activity each day 70-80% of kids that participate in organized sports drop out by the age of 14 or earlier Just 4% of schools have daily physical education Sweat and Smiles - what a great name for a workshop focused on fitness activities for kids!

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Craft Factory. 893,713 likes · 1,301,251 talking about this. Weekly episodes of DIYs and hacks to up-cycle your stuff and your life!

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Play new room escape games online. The player must find the clues and solve several difficult puzzles. That will allow you to leave different tricky places.

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MERGE | Virtual Reality, powered by your smartphone

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Virtual reality powered by your smartphone. MERGE VR/AR Goggles is a VR headset that uses iPhone or Android smartphones to deliver immersive virtual reality experiences. You can use the headset to enjoy 360 video, 3D movies, and augmented reality.

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Creating a lot out of a little

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I just wanted to send out one last reminder that Cheap Crafty Mama is all new (check out the new look!) and if you want to keep getting updates you will need to go to www.cheapcraftymama.com to sign up to follow via email, RSS, Facebook, or Linky Followers.

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School-Age Activities, Themes, and Ideas

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pirate activites for school age children

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A to Z Kids Stuff | School-Age Themes and Lessons

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Free theme lesson plans and activities for school-age children.

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Curriculum Database from The National Center for Quality Afterschool

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Curriculum Database from The National Center for Quality Afterschool

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Helping local practitioners and state education agencies develop high-quality and balanced programs

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Afterschool Curriculum Databases: The National Center for Quality Afterschool

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Afterschool Curriculum Choice: Technology Resources is an initiative of Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) and the National Center for Quality Afterschool. It is designed to help practitioners locate and make informed choices about high-quality technology resources to enrich their programs. Resources were selected based on proven use in afterschool settings, and include challenging lesson plans and organized activities.

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Curriculum and Activities promoted by the Afterschool Alliance

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Curriculum and Activities promoted by the Afterschool Alliance

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Check out these engaging and low-cost STEM activities and curriculum that has been developed for and tested in the afterschool setting.

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The Afterschool Alliance is working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met. Learn more

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Online Professional Learning and Technical Assistance for
21st Century Community Learning Centers

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Online Professional Development and Technical Assistance for 21st Century Community Learning Centers

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Click2Science hosts virtual professional development webinars each month focused on out-of-school time learning environments, STEM, professional development best practices, and other relevant events. All webinars are recorded and made available for on-demand viewing.

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This is an area specifically designed to encourage independent exploration, creation, and tinkering. Here are a few ideas to build your own tinker space.

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I love to tinker. Creating things, building, designing and learning. As part of my school space I intentionally built a tinker space. This is an area specifically designed to encourage independent exploration, creation, and tinkering. Here are a few ideas to build your own tinker space.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
The idea is to create a space where my kids are free to create and do their own things. Where they can learn through trial, error and exploration. Tinkering really is playing and inventing, so the space needs to be filled with opportunities to play, invent and launch imaginations into overdrive!

Here are some of the things in our tinker space for a 7 and 9 year old. A lot of the items on this list are probably things you can find in your house right now:

- Robotics kits - Mindstorms, Sphero, etc.
- Snap Circuits
- Lego ( basic kits are the best, plus we have Technic and Chain Reactions for more advanced work)
- Tinkertoys
- magnets
- old electronics and items to take apart
- batteries
- wires
- LEDs (like I used in our circuit bugs)
- Play dough ( conductive and insulating are great for circuit building too!)
- alligator clips
- tinfoil
- pipe cleaners
- scissors
- paper
- markers
- paper tubes
- tooth picks
- pool noodles
- cups
- clothespins
- tape
- glue
- stapler
- elastic bands
- string
- popsicle sticks
- plastic and styrofoam cups
- straws
- egg cartons
- tooth picks
- rubber balls
- tape measure
- ruler
- card board
- toilet paper and paper towel tubes
- wood blocks
- screws
- nails
- hammer
- screw drivers
- washers

And I've probably forgotten dozens of things! But at least this is a start for things to include in a tinker space. Remember to keep it age and skill level appropriate. Adult supervision is always recommended!

A couple of other things I always have close at hand are a camera and notepads so the kids can record their creations, take notes, plot and plan. We also have a microscope and magnifying glasses because my kids love to examine things in detail.

I leave one table set up and encourage my kids to tinker, create and use their imaginations. There are really no rules and the kids have a lot of control over what is in that space. I will rotate through various items, often tying into a certain unit study we are doing at the time, but the kids are also welcome to add their own activities, or request certain items.

I store a lot of stuff in bins under the tinker table so if inspiration strikes the kids will have the materials they need at hand but it also helps to control clutter and mess. One of the things I love about our Groovy Lab In A Box subscription is that it gives us new items to add to our tinker box each month.

Don't forget to bring out things from your pantry sometimes for some food inspired tinkering. Marshmallows make great connectors for an engineering project. And licorice can inspire many an amazing creation! Tonic water adds a glow effect and all kids love a good vinegar and baking soda reaction. Your pantry can be a great source for a tinkering session.

One of the great things about a tinker space is that it can be portable. You can fill anything from a small zip lock bag to a large tupperware with various supplies, then let the kids create on the move.

Another fun thing for tinker spaces is to take things like old electronics, watches, phones, etc. and take them apart to see how they work. You can also reuse parts to create new inventions!

Tinker spaces don't need to cost anything. Start small with items you have around the house. Set them in a dedicated space. Slowly build up over time.

The power of tinker spaces is amazing. Build it, play with it yourself, and even your most reluctant child will start to explore and tinker. Tinkering really is about playing and learning through play is an amazing thing! I hope you enjoy your tinker space as much as we enjoy ours. If you have more ideas for tinker spaces, please share them in the comments.

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I love to tinker. Creating things, building, designing and learning. As part of my school space I intentionally built a tinker space. This is an area specifically designed to encourage independent exploration, creation, and tinkering. Here are a few ideas to build your own tinker space. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

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Find fun, safe and engaging activities for your program participants.

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Safe After School Activities| Active After School

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The Canadian Active After School Partnership is an initiative to establish a program delivery framework targeting all levels of government, decision makers, non-profit and for profit organizations and front line staff as well as others with a commitment in quality after school programs. The objective is to enhance the delivery of quality after-school programs that involve increased access and opportunity to engage in physical activity and healthy living and nutrition practices, with the ultimate goal of increasing physical activity levels and healthy eating practices of Canada's children and youth.

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Experiment Library | Science Experiments | Steve Spangler Science

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For those of you who couldn't join us on Facebook this week (@spanglerscience), we've been working hard to provide fun and amazing at home experiences to those who have been impacted by the current events.

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9 Games and Apps that Encourage Kids to Get Physical

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9 Games and Apps that Encourage Kids to Get Physical

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Physical activity for kids is extremely important to overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest children (and adults) get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day; but this is easier said than done. The problem is that kids today are not the same as kids were 20 or 30 years ago.
Times Have Changed
Older generations of children spent most of their time outside playing, while kids today, no matter how old they are, have access to smart phones, tablets, video games, computer games, and other electronics. Technology has a widely-known correlation with childhood obesity and this correlation is especially present in the US. Although this concern is not 100% off-base, technology is not completely to blame.

Yes, more than one-third of children are overweight in America and more than one-third play at least an hour of video games each day. Many don't have as much social or physical activity as they should for mental and physical health development. With statistics like that, making the connection to technology and childhood obesity is not hard; but it's not necessarily a cause-and-effect phenomenon.
Incorporating Technology Into Physical Activity
The fact of the matter is that kids are not doomed to be overweight because of our tech-crazy culture; physical activity for kids has simply changed. The problem doesn't necessarily lie in the technology or games themselves, but in the fact that many parents don't know how to use their children's love of technology to encourage physical activity for kids.

Good news! If your child is a "gamer" you can stop fighting with them to get off the couch and go outside. They can get the exercise and socialization they need and still do what they love. There are hundreds of games and apps out there that your young kids and teens will love; here are a few to get you started:

1. Trainer: Kids just love to take care of digital creatures and this app lets them do it while being active. Your child is responsible for the creature's diet and exercise; but they have to do more than click buttons, they have to exercise along with the pet to keep them healthy!

2. Motion Maze: This is an interactive treasure hunt where kids must walk, jog, or run in place to get the character through the maze as quickly as possible.

3. Kids Yoga Journey: Flexibility is important for your child and this app provides them with visual instruction on yoga positions for children. It even received high marks in the Healthy Apps Challenge run by the Surgeon General.

4. Zamzee: this little USB drive clips into your child's shoe and keeps track of their activity. Your child will earn points for any and all movement; from climbing a tree to taking out the garbage and everything in between.

5. Zombies, Run! : This adventure app is for older kids that sends players on missions to get away from attacking zombies. The player routes a course they will run and the app comes up with a story line as they run from the undead and even incorporates the player's favorite movie.

6. NFL Play 60: this football themed game gets kids out for an hour of running, turning, and jumping over obstacles with their character on the screen.

7. FitQues t: players jump, duck, jog, and walk in place to help a baby squirrel get to its tree house.

8. Move Like Me: Young players copy movement patterns from their character; after each character, another one is added and the player must remember the sequence.

9. Easter Egg & Spoon Race: players grab their virtual egg and spoon and can challenge a friend to a race or play alone. Players create their own course and run around it; it's a race against the clock- but don't drop too many eggs!

As technology evolves, games and apps will only become more a part of our culture; parents just need to learn how they can incorporate technology into physical activity for kids and for themselves! Visit the App store, Google Play, or just do quick search online and you'll find the perfect entertainment (and exercise) for your kids.
Related Article: Is Technology Harming My Teen's Mental and Physical Health?

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9 Games and Apps that Encourage Kids to Get Physical

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Physical activity for kids is extremely important to overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest children (and adults) get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day; but this is easier said than done. The problem is that kids today are not the same as kids were 20 or 30 years ago.

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Nebraska Agriculture In The Classroom™ (AITC) is a program of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation. AITC helps students and teachers develop awareness and understanding that agriculture is the source of food, clothing, shelter and other essentials of life. AITC works with the National Agriculture in the Classroomeducational program sharing resources where possible.

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The mission of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is to engage youth, educators, and the general public to promote an understanding of the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans.

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Are you looking for new ways to teach kids about math and science? Do you want activities that meet you where you live, whether your “classroom” is an active volcano, the shark tank at the local aquarium, or your own kitchen table? You’ve come to the right place. howtosmile is a collection of the best educational materials on the web, in addition to learning tools and services – all designed especially for those who teach school-aged kids in non-classroom settings.

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Experiment with core chemistry concepts like matter, molecular forces, elements, chemical bonds, conservation of energy, and reactions. Learn to stay safe by using the right equipment under the proper conditions.

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Experiment with core chemistry concepts like matter, molecular forces, elements, chemical bonds, conservation of energy, and reactions. Learn to stay safe by using the right equipment under the proper conditions.