Increasing Physical
Activity in Elementary
School Classrooms
Dr. Brent Heidorn
Health and Physical Education
University of West Georgia
Reasons for Movement
1. The shape of our nation
2. Movement enhances learning
3. Development of the whole child
PE vs. PA
Physical Education - the instructional program
designed to teach national and state standards
and to develop physically educated individuals
who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence
to enjoy a lifetime of physical activity
Physical Activity - bodily movement that
substantially increases energy expenditure
Discussion
Preparing Classroom Teachers to Meet Students’
Physical Activity Needs
A Shared Leadership Approach to Promoting
School Wellness Policy and Program Change
Start the Day Movement Activities
• Get students moving early in the school day
– Recreational opportunities and intramurals
– Announcements and movement
– Videos (Example: Adventure to Fitness)
School Walking Program
• Students log miles walked each day, week,
month, semester, year
– Class goal: walk across the state
ING Run for Something Better
Transitioning Breaks
• Get students moving between classes and
during breaks throughout the day
Recess
What is Recess?
Recess is unstructured but purposeful break time during
the school day that allows kids to engage in physical
activity and social development
All children should engage in at least one daily period
of recess for at least 15-20 minutes per period
Scheduling and Planning Recess
• Recess should be outdoors if weather is above
freezing. If inclement weather prevents recess,
indoor movement and social breaks should be
the replacement
• Recess is not scheduled immediately before or
after physical education class
• Recess does not interfere with physical
education classes that are taking place in a
common environment
Supervision at Recess
• Recess should be properly supervised by
adults
• Adults should intervene only when a child’s
physical or emotional safety is an issue
Promoting Physical Activity
at Recess
• Adequate, safe, and developmentally
appropriate equipment is provided for students
to engage in enjoyable physical activity (balls,
ropes, etc.)
• Adequate, safe spaces and facilities are
provided for all students to be physically active
at the same time
Promote Physical Activity at Recess
Teach low organization games children can play
on their own
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Four Square
Hopscotch
Different versions of Kickball
Horse, Around the World, etc.
Wall Ball, Tetherball, etc.
Tag games
Long Rope Jumping Challenges
Short Rope Jumping Challenges
Recess Activities of the Week (RAW)
Promoting Physical Activity at Recess
Recess is not viewed as a reward but as a
necessary educational support component for all
children
Students should not be denied recess so they can
complete class work or as a means of
punishment
Before- and After-School Programs
Interscholastic Sports
Intramural Sports
Special Tournaments
Walk- and Bike-to-School Programs
• Safe routes to school
• Motivational opportunities
Comprehensive School-Based
Physical Activity Program
Physical Activity and the Community
Family game night
Share facilities
Nutrition and physical activity seminars
Newsletters, websites, emails
Physical activity at home
Special initiatives
Summer camp
Local partnerships
Guest speakers
Fundraisers
Community outreach
Energizers
UNO FITNESS
RED = JOG IN PLACE
YELLOW = SWIM
GREEN = SCISSOR JUMPS
BLUE = CROSS CRAWLS
MORNING ROUTINE
Participate in a series of simple activities lasting
30 seconds or more:
Jumping jacks
Knee lifts
Flap arms like a bird
Hopping on one foot
Scissor jumps
Reach for the sky
Runner’s stretch
Marching in place
Rotate ankles
Scratch your back
Elbow and elbow
Foot and foot
Knee and knee
Forearm and elbow
Foot and elbow
Knee and elbow
Forehead and back of
hand
Foot and finger
PICK-IT-UP
Mimic the sport skills as they are called
Shooting a jump shot
Running through tires
Batting a baseball
Serving a tennis ball
Downhill skiing
Spiking a volleyball
Swinging a golf club
Juggling a soccer ball
Shooting an arrow
Shooting a hockey puck
Swimming underwater
Fielding a grounder
Dunking a basketball
Throwing a football
SPORTS GALORE
Physical Activity Integrated into
Classroom Learning
Math
Reading
Science
Social
Studies
Language
Arts
Spelling
Other
SPACE JAM
Follow directions to the story
When you hear a verb, act it out for 5
seconds
Participate enthusiastically!
Let’s Walk
Using the Prepositions:
OVER, UNDER, AROUND, and THROUGH
Over
Under
Around
Through
The Atlantic
Ocean
A tree
branch
Your desk
A creaky
door
A wiggly
bridge
Your desk
A chair
A long tunnel
A steep hill
Your dog
A circle
A window
A thorny
bush
Water
A dirty trash
can
A haunted
house
The bed of a
sleeping
giant
A limbo stick
A camp fire
A swimming
pool
Jump into Geography
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Create a scale relating movement to distances on a map
– 1 small step = 1 mile
– 1 giant step = 10 miles
– 1 jump = 100 miles
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Students use a map scale to measure the distance between two cities or countries
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Using movements on the map scale created, students identify which movements
should be combined to travel between two points
– If the distance between two cities is 121 miles, students take 1 jump, 2 giant
steps, and 1 small step
Act out each sentence for 10 seconds
Participate enthusiastically!
Jog in place AS IF a big scary bear is chasing you
Walk AS IF you’re walking through chocolate pudding
Jump in place AS IF you are popcorn popping
Reach up AS IF grabbing balloons out of the air
March in place AS IF you are in a marching band
Paint AS IF the paint brush is attached to your head
Swim AS IF you are in a giant pool of Jell-O
Move your feet AS IF you are ice skating
Shake your body AS IF you are a wet dog
AS IF…
March across the Golden Gate Bridge
Surf in the Pacific Ocean
Wave to your fans in Hollywood
Climb up a Redwood tree
Flex your muscles like the governor
Stomp the grapes
Pick oranges in your yard
In-line skate on the boardwalk
Ski on the Sierra Nevadas
Crawl through Death Valley
Shoot a foul shot at the Staples Center
Swim in the backyard pool
CALIFORNIA
DREAMIN’
This is a great energizer to help students practice different types
of sport activities.
Hit a baseball like you play for the Atlanta Braves.
Throw a football like the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons.
Shoot a basketball like you play for the Atlanta Hawks.
Hit a golf ball like you are playing in the Masters.
Kick a soccer ball like you play for the Atlanta Silverbacks.
Georgia on my mind
For 5 seconds each, pretend that you are…
Rowing a boat in the Oconee River.
Climbing up Stone Mountain.
Swimming around Tybee Island.
Flying like a bird out of Hartsfield Airport.
Racing around the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Chopping down a Pine tree.
Shooting baskets at Phillips Arena.
Throwing a touchdown pass between the hedges at Sanford Stadium.
Jogging around Centennial Park.
Hitting a homerun at Turner Field.
Hiking around the Georgia foothills.
Waterskiing at Lake Lanier.
ACT AS IF YOU ARE…
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Hiking like …
Swinging a bat like …
Kicking a soccer ball like …
Flipping a big tire like …
Shooting a basketball like …
Doing a squat like …
Jogging like …
Teachers: you can fill in the blank with students in your class
Lets take a walk through the Jungle
and see what we can find….
Walking in place..
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STEP OVER THE VINES (knees up)…
Arms out and BALANCE on the LOG…
Hop in and Wade through the RIVER…
Use the ROPE LADDER to get out…
Dry off…
We found a forest fire; throw 3
buckets of WATER on it..
• MONKEY in the TREE!
SQUAT down and COVER your head!
We need to find our
way out of HERE!
• Jog in place..
• Move the VINES with your ARMS…
STOP
• Now REACH up high… and GRAB a strong VINE!
Use it like a ROPE and
CLIMB up, up, up!
• Monkey in the TREE!!!!
• We made it!! BRUSH yourself off in
case of BUGS!
Snack Attack
Popcorn- jump up like pop corn popping
Ice Cream- FREEZE!
A Cake Rising-start from the floor and rise up on your tip toes
with hands towards the sky
Gumball-curl yourself up in to a ball with your knees to your
chest and head between your legs
Toast-Start from a squat position and jump in the air spreading
your arms and legs out while in flight. (star jump)
Jell-O- Wiggle in place like a bowl of jell-o
Sausage-lie on your side and curl yourself into a semi circle
Winter Olympics
• Jump and do a 360° spin like you are Shaun
White
• Sweep like you are on the USA curling team
• Ski like Lindsey Vonn
• Balance and spin like Peter Lysacek on the
ice
• Shoot a goal like Sydney Crosby
Summer Olympics
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Swim like Michael Phelps
Shoot a basketball like the Dream Team
Sprint in place like Usain Bolt
Balance on one leg like Nastia Liukins
Spike a volleyball like Kerri Walsh
Move Counter-Clockwise around the room
– Flutter like a butterfly
– Jump like a frog from lily pad to lily pad
– Ice skate for a gold medal
– Row a boat away from a storm
– Run like a bear is chasing you
– Skip down the yellow brick road, all the way
back to your seats
Backwards High Ten
Backwards Low Ten
High Five Right
High Five Left
Low Five Right
Low Five Left
High Ten
Low Ten
Sole of Shoe Right
Sole of Shoe Left
Elbow Right
Elbow Left
• Students are in a push-up position
• Students touch the opposite shoulder
with their hand and state a multiple of a
number called out by the teacher
• Number 2: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
• Number 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18
• Spelling words, ABC’s, etc.
Dr. Brent Heidorn
Department of Leadership and
Applied Instruction
Health and Physical Education
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA 30118
bheidorn@westga.edu 678-839-6189