SHINE Element 6: Physical Activity

Overview

Provides guidance for implementing the criteria for Element 6, Physical Activity, of the Preschools Shaping Healthy Impressions through Nutrition and Exercise (SHINE) program.

Criteria for Element 6, Physical Activity

1. Provide opportunities for structured physical activity for 60 minutes every day for full-day programs and 30 minutes every day for half-day programs.
    
2. Provide opportunities for unstructured physical activity for 60 minutes every day for full-day programs and 30 minutes every day for half-day programs.
    
3. Integrate physical activity into school-readiness activities.
    
4. Ensure that children are not sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time.
    
5. Limit screen-time to one hour per week of high-quality programming.
    
6. Follow physical activity best practices.

Adults who work with young children have powerful opportunities to ensure that children are active every day.  Daily physical activity should become a regular and enjoyable part of life for children.  Physical activity early in life has many benefits.  Physical activity helps children maintain a healthy weight and reduces the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  In addition, it helps children build flexibility, endurance, muscle and bone strength, and enhances learning and psychological well-being.  Child care centers and family child care homes must provide a safe environment where children can be physically active and practice good health habits.

Follow the practices below to meet the criteria for Element 6

1. Provide opportunities for structured physical activity for 60 minutes every day for full-day programs and 30 minutes every day for half-day programs
   
   Structured physical activity is led by adults, either indoors or outdoors on playground spaces.  It is a great opportunity for adults to become role models for children by being physically active and participating with them.
    
   • Lead activities such as jumping, hopping, galloping, stretching, and balancing.
      
   • Ensure that the activities support age-appropriate motor skill development.
      
   • Make sure that the activities are fun, engaging, and require no waiting time for children.
      
   • Organize movement stations indoors or outdoors that allow children to practice traveling, stabilizing, and manipulating actions, such as jumping, hopping, twisting, turning, throwing, catching, stretching, kicking, balancing, and changing direction.
      
   • Play games that include simple direction and imitation, such as Follow the Leader and having children mimic animal movements.
      
   • Have fun incorporating the activities listed below:
      
     • Parachute games (sheets make great parachutes)
     • Yoga
     • Recorded music to get children dancing
     • Freeze Tag
     • Musical Hoops
        
   For more age-appropriate activities in the classroom, access the Nemours Healthy Kids Healthy Future, Get Kids Moving web page.
    
2. Provide opportunities for unstructured physical activity for 60 minutes every day for full-day programs and 30 minutes every day for half-day programs
   
   Unstructured physical activity is free play that is led by children, typically outdoors on playground spaces, but it may take place indoors as well.
    
   • Get involved and be active even when children are engaged in free play.
      
   • Provide outdoor play opportunities to help preschoolers develop motor skills, cognitive abilities, and social and emotional competence.
      
   • During rainy days, identify space in the classroom or home.  Consider moving small furniture to create ample space.
      
3. Integrate physical activity into school-readiness activities
   
   Find ways to incorporate physical activity when teaching math, science, language arts, nutrition, and other areas. For more information, access the resources listed below:
    
   • PennState Extension Better Kid Care Physical Motor Skills web page to view the Kindergarten Readiness: Physical Skills online course.
      
   • PennState Extension Better Kid Care School readiness web page to learn how to support physical development for school readiness.
      
4. Ensure that children are not sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time
   
   Sedentary activity is nonmoving activity like reading, playing a board game, or drawing.  Sedentary activity does not provide much physical activity and exercise.  During free play, children are not as active as people commonly think.  Researchers have found that preschoolers were only moderately to vigorously active for approximately 25 minutes during the child care day and they were sedentary for over 50 percent of their day.  For more information, access the Nemours Resources for Physical Activity web page, select the 'Administrative Resources' tab.
    
5. Limit screen-time to one hour per week of high-quality programming:
    
   • As a best practice, adults should watch alongside children to help them make real world connections.
      
   • Do not reward children with screen-time activities.
      
   For additional guidance on screen time, access the American Academy of Pediatrics Media and Children Communication Toolkit web page.
    
6. Follow physical activity best practices:
    
   • Do not use physical activity as punishment; for example, making a child do push-ups as a punishment for grabbing a toy from another child.
      
   • Do not withhold physical activity or keep children from play unless they are being disruptive and pose a danger to others or themselves.
      
   • Avoid developmentally inappropriate physical activity, such as riding a two-wheel bike, roller skating, skateboarding, or elimination games.
      
   • Do not allow children to play on trampolines.
      
   • Supervise all indoor and outdoor play.
      
   • Do not smoke indoors or outdoors at the child care site.
      
   • Monitor the temperature outdoors and children’s sun exposure.  Do not allow children to play in extremely hot or cold weather.
      
   • Offer water before, during, and after physical activity.
      
   • Inspect outdoor play areas daily for obstacles or unsafe surfaces.
      
   • Encourage children to try new, noncompetitive activities and provide positive feedback when they try.
      
   • Regularly inspect play areas and equipment.
      
   • Monitor children’s frustration levels during an activity.  If needed, intervene and redirect an activity.
      
   For additional guidance on structured and unstructured physical activity and physical activity best practices, access the following resources:
    
   • Nemours Healthy Kids, Healthy Future, Get Kids Moving web page
      
   • Georgetown University One Step at a Time: Helping Young Children Be Active

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