Active play programs

Our Early Childhood program begins with the simplest movements that help develop balance and gross motor skills. They’re often linked directly to the books the children are given (think of crawling like a bear while reading “Going on a Bear Hunt.”)

Families are also introduced to Sizzle and Pop, an illustrated selection of simple exercises that get kids moving and having fun. These exercises are adapted to fit in the home or daycare environment.

Our familiar “Sizzle and Pop” activities are now introduced to the Head Start classroom and playground, where the kids can do them together.

We add simple and fun exercises that begin to challenge and develop finer motor skills, while continuing to develop balance and strength.

As the kids move up through the grades, we expand Sizzle and Pop to include more diverse and challenging exercises. By now, the kids are familiar with the quick classroom breaks that get them ready to learn and are choosing the exercises themselves.

We also offer “Recess Run Club,” an active break that supplements regularly scheduled recess periods. Teachers lead their classes on a 10-20 minute walk or jog on school grounds. They keep track of their daily sessions and add up the cumulative distance covered by the class. They can then incorporate this information into other curricular activity (math, geography, etc.) as they compare the distance they’ve covered to distances on a map, leading them towards a goal destination.

Finally, we offer after-school Run Clubs to elementary schools, often in partnership with local Recreation Departments. Warm-ups, games, and relays give the kids a chance to enjoy running as play.