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BE ACTIVE Leisure Education Program www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Leisure Education Table of Contents Introduction What is Leisure Education Leisure Education Activities Week 1 Monday Week 2 Week 3 Scavenger Hunt and Nature Art Hut Fort Building Wednesday Gardening Biking Biking Thursday Outdoor Survival Skill Games and Activities Swimming Harry Potter Themed Activities Friday Geocaching Orienteering Floor Curling Team Building Activities www easternhealth ca OurServices

LIVE HEALTHY Introduction The JLP Leisure Education Program The Leisure Education Program is a 3 week outdoor program that has been developed for children primary and elementary school age who participate in higher than recommended amounts of daily screen time and experience leisure boredom when screens are unavailable to them This program provides a safe and respectful environment for children to learn and experience a wide range of new leisure activities Increasing children s leisure experiences will allow children to have a larger range of activities to choose from when experiencing boredom Children learn their attitudes values of leisure skills and knowledge necessary to improve participation in activities without screens By trying to positively impact children s experience with various leisure activities we hope to encourage them to live healthy active lives Children who have successful leisure experiences and feel confident in participating will be less likely to reach for technology Some of these skills include sampling leisure activities to determine their interests linking the impact these activities have on our health and gaining the knowledge and skills to participate plan for leisure in the future www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Leisure Education What is Leisure Education A broad range of services that focuses on the development and achievement of various leisure related skills attitudes and knowledge necessary for healthy and meaningful leisure involvement Stumbo 2002 Awareness Resources Knowledge of the leisure opportunities to meet their interests and expectations Participating in leisure activities Decision making skills Leisure and play attitudes Personal Resources Family and Home Resources Community Resources Social Interaction Skills Developing Communication Skills Relationship building skills Self Presentation Skills Activity Freedom of choice options and alternatives Traditional Sports dance music outdoor and aquatics Non traditional eating walking for enjoyment playground imaginative play and gardening www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Leisure Education Activities Week 1 Gardening For this activity the children each painted small black plastic recycled pots We discussed the difference between plants and humans and discussed how to properly care for plants Each child then planted 2 3 pea bean or sunflower seeds in their pot We chose these seeds as they are fast growing and tend to maintain the attention of children Maintaining care of your plants Peas beans and sunflower seeds planted will require support as they grow taller you can use branches string plastic supports purchased from the dollar store or other items as you see fit The plants should not require any assistance attaching to the support provided Make gardening easy try using a raised garden bed or container that you can put on your patio You can also use smaller pots that are easily moved or fit your property needs Another great idea is growing herbs that can remain on an indoor window ledge and used to spice up your meals https 3squaremealsblog wordpress com 2012 0 2 23 easy container vegetable gardening in 7easy steps part 1 Community Gardens A community garden is a shared space where people gather together to grow fruits vegetables small livestock and or flowers collectively Community gardens can consist of collective plots individual plots or a combination of the two Food may be grown for the garden s members for a local organization such as a community kitchen or bulk buying club or for the community at large The most common type of community garden is one in which garden plots are rented to community members on an annual basis to plant vegetables for their own consumption http www foodsecuritynews com Publications Community_Garden_Best_Practices_Toolkit pdf If you are interested in expanding gardening with your family there are many Community Gardens located around the city that can provide great family leisure Check out the link to see where the closet one is for your family http www foodfirstnl ca rcrarchive 2013 08 16 community gardens in stjohns rq community 20gardens www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Growing vegetables can be a great way to connect get children excited about their food and encourage healthy food choices Below are some recipes provided by our dietician for green peas and beans that you may want to try with your harvest or future successful harvests Green Peas https www onegreenplanet org vegan food green pea recipes Give Peas a Chance With These 20 Delicious Green Pea Recipes One Green PlanetOne Green Planet www onegreenplanet org Most of us have eaten peas all our lives but probably never stopped to really appreciate them These recipes where peas are center stage will certainly change all that Green beans https www goodhousekeeping com holidays thanksgiving ideas g803 green beans 32 Best Green Bean Recipes for Thanksgiving Easy Ways to Cook Green Beans goodhousekeeping com www goodhousekeeping com Fresh or frozen this green veggie is the perfect side whether you re making em for an easy weeknight fix or giving them a Thanksgiving prime time slot For more family friendly favorites www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Outdoor Survival Skill Games and Activities Children automatically move more when they are outdoors Chaos Survivor This is an outdoor board game in which the children had to race in teams to answer 1 60 outdoor survival questions They learned everything from what is important to pack with you on a hike to what you do if you get lost in the woods This game also had the children running moving their bodies for about an hour in the rain Many times children are nervous or uncomfortable in the outdoors because they have never had the experiences or lack knowledge about the outdoors Educating them on elements of the outdoors will increase their confidence to participate in the future This game had the children going through wooded areas bending squatting and pushing their way through trees bushes and tall grass Survivor is an outdoor game that can be played with a group of children in their own neighborhood There are 4 participants picked that are different survival items Food Water Shelter and Fire and 1 participant picked to be a bear Each survival item and bear get a different color marker you could also use objects like paper The survival items and bear must hide in the woods Each participant left must then search for their survival items gaining a checkmark when successful BUT if they are caught by the bear a survival item checkmark is X out and they must return to get their survival item again When the participant gets all survival items they must return to home without getting caught by the bear Other outdoor game ideas Spot Light Tag Washer Toss Horse Shoes Bocce Ball www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Week 2 Geocaching Geocaching is an activity that we can incorporate technology in a positive healthy way Geocaching is a real world outdoor adventure that is happening all the time all around the world To play participants use the Geocaching app and or a GPS device to navigate to cleverly hidden containers called geocaches There are millions of geocaches in 190 countries waiting to be discovered there are probably even some near you right now Geocaches come in all different shapes sizes and difficulties and are hidden in both rural and urban settings Geocaching offers something for everyone from families with children to retirees Some geocachers play the game to see how many total finds they can get while others play to see how many new states or countries they can visit Geocaching is a great way to find remarkable destinations that you would not have otherwise discovered It is also an excellent education tool and an excuse to get off the couch https www geocaching com play Go play To get started create a free basic account and use Geocaching com or the free Geocaching app to search for geocaches near your location Whether you are off to find your first geocache or your ten thousandth the Geocaching app is your ultimate geocaching toolbox Once you find a geocache open it up and sign the logbook You may discover some trade or swag items small toys keychains trinkets inside the geocache The general rule of thumb is if you take something leave something of equal or greater value Then place the container back exactly how you found it and share your experience online with the rest of the geocaching community Connect You can learn more about geocaching through the Geocaching Blog The Geocaching Channel on YouTube or the Geocaching Help Center Educators can share ideas and lesson plans in the Geocaching com Forum section for education You can also connect with the geocaching community on Facebook Twitter Instagram Google and Pinterest www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Scavenger Hunt and Nature Art Scavenger hunts are a great way for children to explore nature their surroundings and incorporate mindfulness Typically you are provided with a list of items you must find or activities you must do Scavenger Hunt Ideas Nature Scavenger Hunt children explore outdoors looking for items in nature ex A leaf a yellow flower an animal etc You can always make scavenger hunts more challenging by adding specifics ex Find a rock the shape of a heart Color scavenger hunt using color swatches colored paper or construction paper have the children look for items that match the color Art Scavenger Hunt Draw or paint pictures of items listed Ninja Scavenger Hunt list an activity the child has to complete ex Roll down a grassy hill climb a tree etc https activeforlife com active scavengerhunt What to do with items found When we completed our Nature Scavenger Hunt we made nature art out of the items found Paint on rocks Paint on leaves Use leaves as stamps for art Combine leaves sticks rocks to create a picture or scene Another great idea is using the items found to create a sensory nature box Nature has many benefits including reducing stress improving concentration and can even increase our creative mind Having a sensory nature box nearby can be used to take items out to touch smell or just to look closely www ThriveWithNature com Photo Scavenger Hunt using a camera or phone take pictures of the items listed If you are doing a Photo scavenger hunt use the pictures to create a scrapbook learn or practice photography use your pictures to add a touch of nature to your room or even try drawing painting your photographs www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Biking Bike Safety Discussing Bike safety and elements of a children s bike can increase confidence in their ability to handle their bike Always teach a child that they are in control of their bike their bike does not control them Use the Maintenance Check List on the next page prior to using a bike Helmet Use Ensure your child always has a helmet on when using or sitting on their bike Role model helmet use and always use your helmet as well We followed the 2 finger rule for helmet use helmet must sit 2 finger widths above your eyebrows no more than two fingers widths under your chin strap and the ear straps should be on each side of your ear Balance Bikes and Training Wheels Balance Bikes are great way to start when learning to ride helping children practice their balance Pushing and gliding while lifting their feet will improve a child s ability and comfort with riding You can also make your own balance bike by removing the peddles on a bike https activeforlife com capebreton balance bikes the new rite ofpassage Training wheels are helpful to build strength with a child s legs but may not aid in a child s ability to balance or increase comfort when training wheels are removed Learning to Bike Tips Start on the grass falling from the grass is much less harmful Practice balancing first pushing and gliding on your bike Practice riding down a straight line using rope as a line of reference Look where you want to go not directly in front of your bike Use a pylon at the end of the rope or where you want to go to teach children where to look For more advanced riders try adding obstacle courses that they have to turn brake or navigate pylon like objects Even adding some wood planks to ride over can add some excitement to a child s biking Sprockids trained leader s offer beginner to Mountain Biking training programs Keep your eyes out for a program near you https www sprockids com www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Swimming Swimming is a great physical activity for children Swimming has little impact on our joints and creates a resistance workout for our muscles Swimming can be an indoor or outdoor activity when the weather allows Keep in mind if outside you may have to swim at your own risk and have a guardian for safety Types of swimming available Swim for fun Synchronized swimming Swimming lessons Lane Swimming Aqua Zumba Aqua Fit Triathlon swimming https www trinl com kids Swimming Pools Bowring Park Outdoor Swimming Pool Bowring Park Waterford Bridge Rd St John s Swimming is Free open until Sept 2nd Bannerman Park Outdoor Swimming Pool Bannerman Rd St John s Swimming is Free open until Sept 2nd Paul Reynolds Swimming Pool 35 Carrick Dr St John s H G R Mew Community Centre Indoor Swimming Pool 40 Mundy Pond Rd St John s Summit Center 126 Smallwood Dr Mount Pearl CBS Swimming Pool 10 Remembrance Square Conception Bay South The Works Aquarena 7 Westerland Rd St John s The YMCA 35 Ridge Rd St John s www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Week 3 Hut Fort Building Hut Fort Building can also be a great indoor or outdoor activity without the use of devices During this activity we taught the children to make Lean 2 huts teaching them supplies required structure building and had them thinking about size shelter from weather and comfort Check out your neighborhood or property to see if there is anywhere to get creative and build their own version of forts or huts You can use many different supplies from sticks alders blankets boxes etc This activity also gave the children opportunity to practice safely navigating bushes branches and stumps Some even learned popping sap in the trees A great activity on a rainy or stormy day is building indoor forts using blankets pillows and furniture This will get their imagination running and allow for some light physical activity Orienteering Orienteering typically uses map and compass to find identified spots on the map During the Leisure Education program we provided maps of Pippy Park and taught the children how to orient a map to find 16 hidden items in various spots across the park St John s has an Orienteering Club that you can check out if interested https www facebook com groups 1177239 28256527 The basic goal behind orienteering is to find control flags located throughout an unfamiliar country side using only a map and compass as your guide In a typical event the organizer places the orange and white control flags at various land features found on your map These flags act as checkpoints along the course The object of the sport is to use the map and compass to locate the control flags and return to the finish Using your imagination and navigational skills you try to select the best route to each control Once there you punch a control card which verifies that you found the control There are many versions of orienteering on foot bicycle or skis at night in relays and so forth but the idea is essentially the same the use of a map and compass to find your way across unfamiliar terrain http www sjoc ca www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Harry Potter Theme Themed activities can help children be active and increase their imagination If children are interested in a certain game movie or TV show incorporating activities games and imaginative play can help decrease their screen time Ex If your child likes target games try an archery program or if they like The Amazing Race have them make up their own amazing race Wand Making Send the children out to find sticks that will be used as their wand Use a hot glue gun to add bumps and features to your wand Finally using glitter and or paint to decorate your wand as you wish run they all try to make it to the other end without being tagged tipped by the Dementor Anyone who is tagged also becomes a Dementor and has to try to catch more participants Start with a new Dementor each time Quidditch Quidditch is a game played in Harry Potter This has expanded to many versions of real Quidditch around the world A game of Quidditch is played between two teams The goal is to end the game with more points than the opposing team Using 6 hula hoops 3 at each end of the field attached to hula hoop stands and the rules below we played our own version of Quidditch For rules on how we played check out the link below https www thescrapshoppeblog com wpcontent uploads 2018 09 Quidditch pdf Sorting Hat Dementor Tag Using the area we marked out before the starting one participant is chosen to be the first Dementor They stand in the middle of the playing area while the rest of the participants line up at one end When told to Each child completed a quiz to place them in a Harry Potter House The children then got to create their house banners and a tie to represent their house Dressing up and crafts are great ways to increase imagination and decrease boredom www easternhealth ca OurServices

BE ACTIVE Curling Team Building Activities Floor Curling Minute to win it Games Floor curling is a modified version of the commonly known Olympic Curling sport it is played on the floor instead of ice The children were provided with the opportunity to learn the rules and participate in floor curling Curling Curling is not always a commonly known sport for children However there are various children curling opportunities here in St John s http www stjohnscurlingclub com registrat ion junior http www ballyhaly com index php curling memberships Minute to win it Games can take up hours of time when children are bored and does not require many supplies These games can be done independently or as teams and can be indoors or outdoors You can find many example minute to win it games from a quick google search Obstacle Courses or contests Having various recreation equipment available can offer a wide range of activities if the children use their imagination Skipping ropes balls rackets water sponges buckets etc Who can get their team across the lawn using random items scattered without any member touching the grass Who can fill their bucket up the quickest running back and forth with a cup or bowl of water Who can get their team mate across the lawn blindfolded without stepping on any obstacles in place www easternhealth ca OurServices