December 14, 2020 Play and Physical Activity Guide for Educators & Families, Recess Advocacy Team About The Recess Advocacy Team compiled a list of resources for educators and families to make sure play and physical activity are a part of children’s’ days and serve as a foundation for their learning, growth, and development. The list includes resources, activities, considerations, and ways that educators and families can incorporate play and physical activity into children’s daily routines. Resources for Play & Physical Activity 15-Day Family Fitness Challenge – Let’s Move at Phipps provides activities that encourage you to move, get creative, spend time together, and just take a moment. This resource offers a variety of playful activities. Moving More at Home – Free tools, resources, and games from Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Kohls. Wide Open School Get Moving – Powered by Common Sense Media, this page features online videos that will guide you through physical activities. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Parks on the Go – Digital guides for exploring the outdoors from anywhere. Nature-Themed Yoga Series – Four weeks of nature-themed yoga activities brought to you by Open Up Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and Venture Outdoors. Creative Connections – Short videos created by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust teaching artists that cover multiple art forms. Creative Curriculums – Pennsylvania Standards-aligned, arts-integrated extensions to classroom curriculums that can be led for a group of students or for families to engage in at home. ATL Parent Like A Boss, Inc. – ATL Parent Like A Boss, Inc.’s mission is to enhance generational literacies through play in underserved African American communities. Follow the Facebook page for activity ideas. Keeping Children Active During the Coronavirus Pandemic – Physical activity guidelines for children ages three to twelve years old with options for indoor and outdoor activities. A Spanish version is available. Download This Resource The Recess Advocacy Team is a group of organizations dedicated to health and wellness, education, and play with a focus on recess practices and policies. To view the full list of resources, download the guide (PDF).
Exercise Together with Darnell Campbell Exercises for Families Are you looking for simple but effective exercises to get your family up and moving? Watch this video from Darnell Campbell to learn four exercises your family can do right at home. Darnell Campbell is a Physical Education Teacher at Winchester Thurston, CPR Instructor, and Personal Trainer. Watch the Video
Using Play to Support Children’s Physical Health Creating play-rich early environments. As children’s first teachers, parents and caregivers play a vital role in supporting their children’s healthy development. While it may sound like a big task, the first step is simple: incorporate developmentally appropriate activities into your daily routines! Physical Activity Recommendations Birth to one year old: Caregivers should encourage their infants to practice movement skills while their infant is awake. These skills include supporting their head, rolling, crawling, walking, and picking up both small and large objects. Include at least 30 minutes of tummy time every day. Ages two to five years old: It is recommended that toddlers remain physically active throughout the entire day through a combination of play-based activities. Aim to include a mix of structured, adult-led play and unstructured, free play every day. Structured play activities follow rules to reach a specific goal. Examples include assembling a LEGO set, playing organized sports like soccer, and playing tag. Unstructured play is child-led, improvised, and creative. It does not follow a specific set of rules. Examples include playing with blocks, creating new games to play, and improvised dance. Ages six years old and older: Children in this age range should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. There should be a mix of aerobic (running, swimming, jump roping) and bone- and muscle-strengthening activities (climbing, yoga, basketball, bodyweight exercises). Playful Activity Ideas Consider using these activities to get your family up and moving! Infants and Young Toddlers: Household Item Play With supervision, give your child their own spoon at meal time or give them a child-safe bowl and spoon to play with. You can also give your baby blocks and balls to strengthen their grip, practice their holding skills, and improve dexterity. Pre-k: Muddy Maneuvers Even though mud is messy and slippery, it provides a lot of great play opportunities for you and your child. Let your child take off their shoes; squish mud between their toes and fingers; make handprints, footprints, and mudpies; and more! Just bring some water and towels to clean up after! Kindergarten: Nature Hunt Take a walk in nature with your child and try to find local animals, plants, and bugs. If you have them, bring binoculars to see how far away you can see and a magnifying glass to get a closer look at bugs and plants. You can research information online about local plant life and wildlife to create a scavenger hunt and list of fun facts! For example, what type of animal is it? What does it eat? School Age: Hold that Animal Pose (Yoga) Challenge your child to pose like a giraffe, flamingo, and other animals to help build their muscles, practice their balance, and work on patience. You can find examples of yoga animal poses beforehand or tune in to your creativity to create poses (with your child) on the spot! For an extra challenge, ask them to hold a book, milk jug, or another household item while holding the pose. Resources Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series Developmentally Appropriate Parenting is a family resource content series developed by Trying Together as an effort to empower caregivers to create high-quality experiences at the earliest stages of their child’s life. Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative is a group of organizations dedicated to advancing the importance of play in the lives of children, families, and communities in the Pittsburgh region. Read their blog to learn about playful activities for children of all ages. KidsHealth The KidsHealth website features a wide range of information on childhood health topics such as exercise, breastfeeding, nutrition, and more. Print This Resource This resource is available as a printable PDF (English) (Español).
June 15, 2020 Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: The Songs About Through his songs, Fred Rogers translated the concepts of child development into musical messages in a language that children could understand. Some songs celebrate good feelings. Some are calming. Others are for times when children are struggling with a particular issue like jealousy or persistence or being apart from a loved one. View the List To listen, access the full song list on the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood website.
Today We Will Play Poster: Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative About The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative’s “Today We Will Play” poster features diverse scenes of play that take place in everyday life: at the grocery story, on the sidewalk, in the laundromat, at school, at home, in the office, and everywhere in between. Download the Poster To learn more and download the poster, visit the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative’s website.
Make the Most of Playtime, CSEFEL About “Babies and toddlers love to play. As a parent, it can feel overwhelming at times.” The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning’s resource, “Make the Most Out of Playtime” explains the importance of parents playing with their young children, provides an overview of how play skills develop in infants and toddlers, and lists tips for parents to incorporate play into daily life. View the PDF To learn more, view the resource “Make the Most Out of Playtime (PDF).”
Child Developmental Hide and Seek Activity, TELI About Are you looking for an activity that will foster your child’s visual memory and help them build visual discrimination? Check out the Early Learning Institute’s activity, “Hide and Seek Pairs!” View the Activity To view this activity, visit the Early Learning Institute (TELI) website!
Activities, Everyday Interactions Matter About Everyday Interactions Matter is a professional development initiative that was created to help early childhood educators learn and grow from their own practice. On their website, they provide several video examples of activities that caregivers can do with their young child, including their videos, “Walk Around the Block,” “I Did It Myself,” and more. More Information To view the video library and articles that feature additional play activities, visit the Everyday Interactions Matter website.
Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays in English and Spanish, Zero to Three About Singings songs to and with your child not only creates a playful, positive environment, it also teaches children important vocabulary and skills such as rhyming, rhythm, vocal pitch, and how to change the pace of their speech (fast, slow). In addition to these things, parents can use songs to help their child transition to new activities or to a new location! In their resource “Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays in English and Spanish”, Zero to Three highlights several songs from Zero to Three Cornerstone Learning and Development Network member, Project Family. Project Family provides services across Arlington County, Virginia for low-income, predominantly Latino families with young children. View the Resource Songs are available in both English and Spanish. To view the list of songs, visit the Zero to Three website.
Outdoor Tips from PNC Grow Up Great About Are you looking for playful learning opportunities for your young child? Step outside and go on a learning adventure! In their resource “Outdoor Tips,” PNC Grow Up Great highlights several outdoor activities for you and your young child, including Exploring Your Shadow, Getting Creative with Storytelling, Making a Backyard Dig Site, and more! View the List Visit the PNC Grow Up Great website to view the list of activities.
