Healthy Lifestyles

Active transportation is any form of human powered travel such as walking, biking, rollerblading, and skateboarding. Active school travel leads to healthier children, less traffic and pollution, safer school zones, and better academic performance.

• Active & Safe Routes to School | educational resources and lesson plans to encourage children and families to choose active transportation.
• Ontario Active School Travel | focused on getting more students using active, safe and sustainable travel modes for trips to and from school. Website includes many resources for school communities and school boards to promote active travel. 
• School Travel Planning Toolkit and Ideas Lab | Tools to develop a comprehensive action plan and a searchable catalogue of inspirational ideas and how-to resources.

• A Blueprint for Quality Participation on Playgrounds for Children with Disabilities | Canadian Disability Participation Project. Evidence-informed strategies designed to support meaningful, inclusive participation on playgrounds for children with disabilities.
• EcoSchools Certification | EcoSchools Canada. Annual certification program that supports and recognizes environmental action in elementary and secondary schools.
• How to properly remove a tick | Public Health Agency of Canada. Video showing how to properly remove a tick.
• Insect repellents: How to protect your child from insect bites | Caring for Kids. Information for parents on avoiding insect bites.
• Lyme disease and ticks | Huron Perth Public Health
• Outdoor Education Toolkits | Ophea. Promote a culture of safety-mindedness, increase teacher awareness, confidence, and preparedness to teach outdoor education safety and risk management, and increase student awareness, confidence, and preparedness about outdoor education safety and risk management. Kits are available for Grades 1 to 8, and Grades 9 to 12.
• Teacher's Guide to Outdoor Learning | Pathway to Stewardship & Kinship. Tips, resources, strategies and activities to encourage outdoor learning.  
• Thrive Outside Resources for Educators | Child & Nature Alliance of Canada. Resource portal with strategies, tips, and ideas for leading children in unstructured play and learning outdoors.   

Your students benefit daily from time in nature and opportunities to move. Physical activity contributes to:

• Increased cognitive function
• Enhanced attention span
• Improved sleep quality
• Enhanced heart and muscular fitness
• Better learning
• Increased self-esteem
• Improved social and problem-solving skills

There are many ways to enhance your student’s physical activity, including:

• Exercise breaks throughout the day, especially between subjects or before settling into desk work
• Creating a movement friendly environment (creating space for movement, making movement stations around the classroom)
• Incorporating movement into classroom learning (associating movements with lesson components has been shown to increase learning/memory)
• Promoting extracurricular activities that incorporate physical activity (intramural sports, track and field etc.)
• When possible, moving classroom activities outside or to other parts of the school

When incorporating physical activity in classrooms, it may be helpful to keep in mind that physical activity breaks don’t have to be long, and they should be easy/accessible. The best movement is the movement that happens consistently.

• 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth 5-17 Years | Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Evidence-based guidelines that encourage children and youth to "Sweat, Step, Sleep and Sit" the right amounts for a healthy 24 hours.
• Active Kids | Free physical activity program for kids of all ages and abilities. It includes lesson plans, training, and support needed to get kids moving for up to 45 minutes a day. It also includes shorter movement breaks, games, and activities tailored to your needs as an educator or parent.
• DPA Every Day | Ophea. Resource designed to support the implementation of Daily Physical Activity (DPA) to enhance student well-being and achievement.
• Ophea (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association) | Provides a variety of physical activity lesson plans, ideas, professional learning and more.
• PALS Playground Activity Leaders in Schools Facilitator Handbook and Student Leader Training Guide | Region of Peel Public Health. PALS is a playground leadership program for elementary schools that encourages all students to participate in organized activities at break times. PALS provides meaningful leadership opportunities for students in junior and intermediate grades to lead fun and safe playground games for students in primary grades that promote increased physical activity, inclusivity and a sense of belonging. One or two school staff will act as facilitators to coordinate student leadership training and provide continued support.
  
  • For other PALS Program Resources (such as Student Training Guide, Student Leader Handbook, Games Book and Certificates) please complete the school health request form.
• Ready, Check Go! Series | PHE Canada (Physical and Health Education Canada). Physical activity tracker designed to help children and their parents/guardians understand the importance and enjoyment of incorporating regular daily physical activity in ways that suit their personal beliefs and needs.

Recommendations and implementation steps | PHE Canada (Physical and Health Education Canada). Provides help with implementing changes to reduce sedentary behaviours and improve the health and well-being of school-aged children and youth.

• 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth 5-17 Years | Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Highlight the importance of getting adequate sleep and how many hours are recommended at different ages.
• Healthy Sleeping | Mental Health Literacy. Handout with tips for a good night's sleep that can be given to adolescents.
• Teens and sleep: Why you need it and how to get enough | Caring for Kids. Information on sleep for teens.