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Physical Education and Physical Activity

gym class

Engaging in regular physical activity offers numerous benefits for children, including the development of  muscles and bones, enhanced mental well-being, and reducing the risk of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer later in life. Schools play a pivotal role in promoting active lifestyles by offering diverse opportunities for physical activity throughout the day — through structured physical education programs, recess, classroom-based movement, and activities before and after school, as well as through collaboration with families and the broader community.

Resources

  • Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP)
    • A framework for planning and organizing school physical activities to support students in meeting the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day
  • Indiana Department of Health, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity CSPAP Webinars
  • Indiana Physical Education Academic Standards
  • National Physical Education Standards
  • Springboard to Active Schools: Provides resources and tools for schools and communities to advocate for 60 minutes of physical activity every day
  • Playworks is an organization that provides technical assistance and trainings to schools and youth programs to help them create inclusive recess and play environments
    • Playworks Game Guide: Hundreds of games that will get kids off the sidelines and having fun
    • Playworks Recess Lab: A project from Playworks, designed to help principals, teachers, parents, and students re-discover the power of play
  • Action for Healthy Kids Resource Library
    • Videos, activities, tip sheets, and more to improve kids’ physical health
  • SparkPlay: Playworks’ online subscription-based resource to support your continuous learning, providing constant sparks of inspiration! This 14-day free trial will allow you to see how SparkPlay can benefit your organization through samples of our guided learning program, game guides, and content library.
  • SPARK (Sport, Physical Activity Recreation for Kids) PE: SPARK is dedicated to creating, implementing, and evaluating research-based programs that promote lifelong wellness. SPARK strives to improve the health of children and adolescents by disseminating evidence-based physical activity and nutrition programs that provide curriculum, staff development, follow-up support, and equipment to teachers of pre-K through 12th-grade students.
  • CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) PE: A developmentally appropriate physical education program that is designed to increase motivation and participation in physical education while minimizing elimination games in grades K-8. CATCH PE reinforces movement skills, sports involvement, physical fitness, social development, skill competency, and cognitive understanding about the importance of lifelong physical activity.
  • Online Physical Education Network (OPEN): Provides rigorous, outcomes-based curriculum tools to every physical education teacher nationwide. OPEN is a backward design curriculum project that targets SHAPE America’s National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes. OPEN resources are free. It provides health educators with the most up-to-date resources, modules, curriculum, and instructional tools for before-, during-, and after-school settings.
  • Indiana Afterschool Network: A statewide organization that advances learning beyond the school day by actively supporting providers with resources, training, and advocacy, while mobilizing a  network of community partners. Together, we build access to high-quality out-of-school-time programs for all youth across Indiana.

Contact

  • Emma Smythe, School Health Coordinator, Indiana Department of Health, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity