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Family Physical Activity at Your School

[Insert Presenter Name]

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Where do you like to be active?

Indoors or outdoors?
Do your favorite activities require a lot of room?
Do your favorite activities require special equipment or space?

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Physical Activity for All!

Physical activity supports physical and mental health
Both children and adults, and therefore families, benefit from physical activity
Different types of physical activity are appealing to different people, and require different amount of time and space

ANCHOR/ADD

Physical activity is linked to decreased risk of chronic disease. People who are active also recover better from acute illnesses. And physical activity is good for concentration, focus, and mental health.

For kids, this can support school attendance, and better behavior and attention while in school. But adult family members benefit from physical activity too! Physical activity can help keep adults happy and well and better able to work and care for their families.

There are many types of physical activity. Some require specific equipment, some don’t. Some require little space, while some can be done in just a few square feet of floor space. Having access to a variety of spaces and equipment can help people find ways to be active that appeal to them.

This includes teachers!

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What resources does your school have for students to be physically active?

Spaces
Equipment

Schools as Physical Activity Assets

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Are there times when these are available to families?
What concerns does this idea bring up for you?

Schools as Physical Activity Assets

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Are the rules for use of outdoor resources shared publicly?

Playground
Track
Sports fields
Hardcourts

Outside the school: Extend an Open Invitation

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Consider posting rules (signs, on websites/social media) that include:
Hours for public use
Reservation process
Safety guidelines
Conduct
Prohibitions (pets, glass, alcohol, vehicles)
Contact information

Outside the school: Extend an Open Invitation

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Outside the school: Scheduled uses

Weekly walking groups
Playground meetups
Drop-in sports (basketball, baseball)

ADD

You can take it one step further by inviting folks to use the physical activity resources at set times.

A weekly walking group could make use of the track, walking paths, or simply walk around the perimeter of the campus during after school or weekend hours. Parents and kids can enjoy one another’s company while getting some exercise.

The playground is likely already a destination for families on the weekend. Could designated times be set when families meet at the playground and assist with watching one another’s kids? Parent’s might take turns doing their own physical activity during this time, walking or jogging. This may offer a solution to parents on half days when finding physical activities and care for kids can be challenging. NOTE: while the school can facilitate this idea, parents should own the process so that the responsibility of care for the kids is not on the school during these times.

Can scheduled times be designated for drop in sports games? Time slots could be designated by age group, or can be open to kids and adults playing together. Participants can provide their own equipment if no staff are on site. This can provide a free alternative to formal sports leagues.

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Inside the school

Fitness programs
Open gym
Use of weight room or other equipment

ADD

The use of indoor spaces at the school is more complex, but can be very impactful during the winter months. The gym is a major asset for physical activity that can serve students beyond the school day.

Scheduled fitness programs are a great place to start. Local fitness trainers in your community may be willing to provide scheduled group classes in your gym. Participants could pay a small fee, or the school could use grant funds to pay for the class so they are free to parents or students (depending on age). You promote the program and collect registrations, and the trainer provides a series of classes. You will also need to consider building access and security during fitness classes.

Open gym time can be scheduled for freeform play, for specific sports (basketball, dodgeball). Scheduled time can also designate age groups (younger students, older students, adults). Some considerations for this type of arrangement include:

Rules: what are the rules for proper behavior and use of the facility during open gym hours?
Staff: who is available to supervise use of the gym during open gym times? Do they have a role in guiding activities, or just making sure everyone follows the rules.
Security: how can they gain access to the gym while the rest of the building remains secure?
Cleanup: how will you ensure that the site is left clean and in good condition?
Registration: can anyone just show up, or should they pre-register to ensure capacity isn’t exceeded?
Equipment: can participants borrow balls or other basic equipment? Is a check out process needed?
Promotion: How will this opportunity be shared with the school community?

Many recreation and parks departments offer open gym hours at the facilities they manage. They may be able to provide guidance on developing this program. Or perhaps you could partner and rec and parks could run open gym at your school!

If this concept takes off, you may consider providing access to other assets at the site, such as the weight room (if it exists).

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Share Your Ideas!

Are there ways that you currently make the school’s physical activity resources available to families?
What is one idea you’d like to try?

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What Now? Steps Towards Action

Discuss your idea with colleagues and families who may be interested in supporting the idea
Identify:

Who should be involved?
What permissions are needed?
Scheduling considerations
Costs, if any
How to promote the opportunity?
Then get to work!

AWAY

Taking action on these ideas requires a team effort. Identify folks in the school community who would be interested in working on creating opportunities for families to be active. Discuss the particulars with this group:

Who needs to be involved? This includes people who need to grant permission, such as the administration, people whose jobs will be affected, such as custodial or groundskeeping staff, and people who can get families interested, such as teachers, community members, or the PTO.
Be sure to think through everyone who will need to grant permissions, and scheduling considerations.
Will this cost anything? Materials, staff wages, or promotional items?
Finally, when you have a plan together, don’t forget to promote it! This is a great opportunity to work with SNAP-Ed. Could the new opportunity be promoted through a lesson during school, an assembly, or a kickoff event during a family night? When we are deeply involved in planning something we sometimes forget not everyone else knows what we’re working on–share your hard work and let families know this effort is to support them, and encourage families to participate!

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What Now? Steps Towards Action

Leverage existing programs and policies:

Review your school district’s Local Wellness Policy
Align with goals of Community Schools or other programs that address student and family supports

Communicate:

Talk to your school district’s Local School Health Council
Find other schools that can serve as a model
Document your successes and challenges!