RaisingKids
naturally!
Less electronics • more outdoors
quality time • healthy lifestyles!
www.kidsnaturally.ca
Where do the Children Play?
P ediatric occupational therapist, biologist, international
speaker, and author Cris Rowan is passionate about changing
the ways in which children use technology. In her latest article,
she suggests that in the rush to digitalize childhood, society
seems to have forgotten critical essential components needed
to create a sustainable child. Below, we share a few sections
from this thought-provoking and true-to-life article:
While parents have known for decades that nature
offers serious benefits to our physical and mental health, the
move from active outdoor play to passive and sedentary indoor
screen watching has been pervasive and rapid.
The downside of keeping kids sedentary, isolated and indoors
is taking a heavy toll on our children. UBC’s Healthy Early
Intervention Partnership study of 47,000 preschool children
in 2016 showed 1 in 3 children enter school developmentally
delayed, 1 in 3 are obese or overweight (Stats Canada), and 1
in 7 children and youth have a diagnosed mental illness
(Canadian Mental Health Association, 2016).
While our children have never been sicker than they are
today, we can reverse this destructive trend through improved
engagement in outdoor play by focusing on the following
evidence based school, home and community initiatives.
1. Allow 3-4 recess breaks/day for research proven improved
attention and learning, better grades, decreased need for
movement ‘body breaks’ in classroom, decreased problematic
behaviors and improved self-regulation.
2. Enhance existing
playgrounds with
age appropriate
and challenging
equipment.
3. Start each day
outside with school
‘tough mudder’ run or inside in gym with obstacle course
and loud music; do one class per day outside.
4. Consideration given to allowing alternate forms of creative
physical play through allowing students to build forts or
use a variety of construction type materials and ‘loose parts’
(anything that’s not bolted down).
5. Reduce rules and increase risk and challenge while also
maintaining a safe and congenial play environment. Consider
creation of a rough and tumble play zone for those kids
who need more intense play opportunities.
6. Establish sensory-motor room in schools with inclusion of
the following areas: hangout space (couch, carpet, beanbag
chairs), chillout space (quiet space behind bookcase with
beanbag chair), and workout space (TRX Strapping, slam
balls, free weights, exercise bike/rowing machine/elliptical).
Educational Assistants could be assigned to this room 2-3
times per day at designated intervals and students sent there
to have their sensory and motor needs met (as opposed to
being sent to principal’s office).•
For full article please visit www.movingtolearn.ca
Know a child who could use someone to talk to
confidentially? Openly discuss the option for them
to contact Kids Help Phone by TEXTING them.
Even if you don’t think they need it right now, it’s an
option they may be open to at some point later.
They simply have to text the word CONNECT to
the number 686868, and they will be confidentially
connected with a trained, volunteer Crisis Responder
to support them with any issue – big or small.
They don’t need a data plan, internet
connection, or any sort of app to use it.
And all conversations are confidential, and FREE.
For more information please visit: kidshelpphone.ca
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RAISING KIDS NATURALLY!