Trade Screen Time for Play Time

Unplug and Play - March 24th - 30th

Check out this great initiative!

PARTICIPACTION is encouraging families to 'Unplug and Play' from March 24th - March 30th for at least one hour a day. Trade in some screen time for some play time with your family! It's been found that the average Canadian child spends close to 8 hours in front of some sort of electronic screen (Participaction.com). 

Participaction.com

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer that it is important for our children to be exposed to and learn how to use technology, after all they'll be using technologies that haven't even been invented yet...maybe they'll be doing the inventing!

What I do feel is important here is that children develop an appreciation for being active. Understanding at a young age that taking a break, moving and being active is directly related to their health, will have a tremendous effect on their lives as they grow older. 

Now, this is a pretty big thing to ask young children to learn so let's just start by playing and having fun! I hope you might take up this challenge. 

5 Extra Years

This video isn't supposed to scare anyone, well maybe that is what it is supposed to do! It illustrates the importance of our youth being active.




I recently had an opportunity to take part in an inspiring 'Mini Summit' put on by Canadian Sport for Life and Sport Calgary. Dr. Dean Kriellaars was the principal presenter and he was able to open the eyes of many on the importance of physical activity, specifically the concept of Physical Literacy.




Someone in the audience asked him on how to get people, specifically parents, to buy into the importance of physical education in schools and day-to-day physical activity for children. His simple answer, 'Remind them it is their children's health at stake'. This answer struck home for me, thinking of my own daughter.

Nearly 42% of children 6-11 years of age are meeting the minimum amount of recommend daily physical activity (3.5% of adults 20-59 years of age are meeting their minimum 30 mins!) - CS4L, Physical Literacy: From Research to Practice. The statistics are scary, but we can change these statistics - 60 minutes a day. Children should be participating in 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. We do a pretty good job in schools with recess, physical education and activity in classrooms, but it's not always enough.

We have to remember it's their health that's at risk!