by Grant Scheffer, GenMove USA.
Physical activity offers great benefits, building cognitive and social skills and boosting mood and mental health. However, many after school programs face key issues in offering quality physical activity programs: lack of staff training, limited space and equipment, limited time and ideas for including children who have special needs. Here are some key pointers to developing a successful program.
Train Staff: Movement can be fun for both staff and students. Consider a specialized staff workshop that will ensure they can deliver fun, engaging physical activities that meet national standards for physical eduction and health. Trainings can cover age and ability-appropriate games, utilizing space, including students with special needs, active project-based academic learning, equipment use and assessment tools.
Invest in Versatile Equipment: Look for portable, easily stored equipment that you can used for a variety of physical activities and games. Many companies offer equipment and activity-guide packages specifically tailored to meet the needs of after school programs. Picking the right equipment can level the playing field so that everyone is excited to get moving!
Engage all Learners: Activities should engage all children in the program. Concentrate on developing each person’s individual skill through a group game or activity. You will help all of your students develop skills at their ability levels, while giving them the social and cognitive benefits of group physical activity. Many companies offer easy-to-conduct activities that are fun for all.
Use Active, Project-Based Learning: Worried about taking time out of common Core academics and STEM learning to get the students moving? You can do both at the same time! Many books and activities incorporate age-appropriate STEM and academic leaning through movement. Include technology through computer and tablet-accessible assessments that help youth process what they are learning during physical activity. Get students moving, activate their brains and give them hands-on opportunities for problem solving and learning.
Successfully integrating meaningful physical activity into your after school program can have a very strong impact on the youths’ health and academic, cognitive, social and behavioral learning. Utilizing these tools can help accomplish a sustainable, impactful physical activity program for staff and students. We wish you all many hours of active fun, play and learning!
First published in ExtendED Notes, Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom newsletter and reproduced with permission of the author, Grant Scheffer of GenMove USA.
Readers using oaSES Online to manage their after school programs are able to manage equipment for after school activities on a district or location basis. Request an online demonstration of the oaSES Online system and see how oaSES can save your after school venture time and money by managing all of your admin procedures and processes with the oaSES system.
