Active Early: A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Physical Activity

A c t i v e E a r l y

A Wisconsin guide for improving childhood physical activity

Endorsements from the Early Care & Education Field

The following organizations, associations and departments are

invested in promoting physical activity and nutrition in early

childhood as a means to prevent obesity. Each has reviewed

and endorsed Active Early and Healthy Bites as an effective,

evidence-based method of improving physical activity and nutrition.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

Supporting Families Together Association

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association

Wisconsin Council on Children and Families

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

University of Wisconsin-Extension

Wisconsin Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies

Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison

This publication may be viewed and downloaded from the

Internet at http://dpi.wi.gov/fns/cacfpwellness.html and

www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/Sites/

Community/Childcare/index.htm.

Active Early: A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Physical Activity was

supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 3U58DP001997-01S4 from the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the

responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the ofﬁcial views

of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This publication was also provided, at least in part, with Federal funds

from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication

do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or

organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Copyrighted Materials: Every effort has been made to ascertain proper

ownership on copyrighted materials and to obtain permission for this use.

Any omission is unintentional.

A c t i v e E a r l y

A Wisconsin guide for improving childhood physical activity

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Tony Evers, PhD, State Superintendent

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Dennis G. Smith, Secretary

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

Eloise Anderson, Secretary

• i •

• ii •

The Wisconsin Department of Public

Instruction does not discriminate on the

basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed,

age, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy,

marital status or parental status, sexual

orientation, or disability

In accordance with Federal Law and

U.S. Department of Agriculture policy,

this institution is prohibited from discrimi-

nating on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, age, or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination,

write USDA, Director, Office of

Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call

toll free 866.632.9992 (Voice). Individuals

who are hearing impaired or have speech

disabilities may contact USDA through the

Federal Relay Service at 800.877.8339; or

800.845.6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal

opportunity provider and employer.

This publication is available from:

COMMUNITY NUTRITION TEAM

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

125 S. Webster St.

Madison, WI 53707

608.267.9129

http://dpi.wi.gov/fns/cacfp1.html

BUREAU OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

Division of Early Care and Education

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

201 E Washington Ave

Madison, WI 53707

608.266.8880

www.dcf.wisconsin.gov

OBESITY PREVENTION UNIT

Division of Public Health

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

P.O. Box 2659

Madison, WI 53701-2659

608.267.3694

http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/

physicalactivity/index.htm

f o r e w o r d

In Wisconsin, 31% of children ages 2-4 years are reported as being overweight or obese. A poor diet and lack of physical

activity are the most important factors contributing to an epidemic of overweight and obese children.

We want young children to develop healthy habits and we know that these habits begin at home and in the early childhood

setting. Wisconsin has the capacity to serve more than 170,000 children in regulated child care facilities. These children are

relying on early care and education (ECE) professionals to provide a signiﬁcant portion of their daily physical activity,

nutrition intake and nutrition education. Child care providers need resources to help them provide nutritious meals and

incorporate age appropriate physical activity that will help children develop lifelong healthy habits.

Recognizing the importance of child care settings in helping our youngest children get a healthy start, our Wisconsin partners

have created the following guides Active Early: A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Physical Activity and Healthy Bites:

A Wisconsin Guide for Improving Childhood Nutrition. These guides are designed to help ECE professionals address

childhood obesity by improving physical activity and nutrition.

We believe that ECE professionals can improve child health and wellness

by establishing child care program policies within their business practices.

By developing and implementing program policies that will improve the nutritional quality of food, encourage physical activity and

educate child care providers, parents and caregivers, children can develop a sound foundation for optimal growth and development.

The guides are based on current scientiﬁc evidence and provide a self-assessment to allow child care programs to freely assess

their own environment, program policies and practices as they relate to nutrition and physical activity. The guides also will suggest

key areas for improvement and information on how to implement strategies for developing program policies in child care settings.

By working together with providers, caregivers and parents, the children of Wisconsin will have the opportunity to adopt

healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

• iii •

Tony Evers, PhD

State Superintendent

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Henry A. Anderson, MD

State Health Ofﬁcer

Wisconsin Division of Public Health

Eloise Anderson

Secretary

Wisconsin Department

of Children & Families

Physical Activity

Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

gross motor milestones . . . . . . . . . . . 16

infants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

toddlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

preschoolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

multi-age groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

cultural competency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

tools included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

engaging families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

engaging communities . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Child Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

assessing the children in your program . . 24

how to ﬁt assessment into your day . . 25

what comes after assessment . . . . . . . 25

considerations for all ages . . . . . . . . . 25

infants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

toddlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

preschoolers & older children . . . . . . 27

multi-age groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

cultural competency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

engaging families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

engaging communities . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Daily Routines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

considerations for all ages . . . . . . . . . 30

infants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

toddlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

preschoolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

multi-age groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

cultural competency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

tools included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

engaging families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

engaging communities . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

considerations for all ages . . . . . . . . . 39

infants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

toddlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

preschoolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

multi-age groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

cultural competency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

engaging families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

engaging communities . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

table of

contents

TAKE ACTION

foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

program assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

quality improvement plan . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

•

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

cultural competency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

tools included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

engaging families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

engaging communities . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

curriculum & books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

articles & websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

assessment tools & materials . . . . . . . 49

Business Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

what is a policy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

policy development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

types of policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

infants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

toddlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

preschoolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

multi-age groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

staff & worksite wellness . . . . . . . . . . . 54

inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

cultural competency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

tools included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

engaging families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

engaging communities . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Let’s Move Child Care Checklists:

Physical Activity and Screentime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Appendix B: Child Care Physical Activity Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Appendix C: Active Early Quality Improvement Plan . . . . . . . . . 64

Appendix D: Language Development Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Appendix E: Full Day Sample Schedules:

Group Child Care and Family Child Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Appendix F: Full Day Sample Schedule: Infants and Toddlers . . 69

Appendix G: Books to Move to: Physical Activity and Literacy. . 70

Appendix H: Homemade Physical Activity Materials . . . . . . . . . . 71

Appendix I: Physical Activity Materials & Equipment Ideas . . . . 72

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

•

introduction

what are Active Early & Healthy Bites?

Active Early and Healthy Bites are companion guides designed to help early care

and education (ECE) professionals address childhood obesity by improving physical

activity and nutrition in the program. Active Early focuses on physical activity while

Healthy Bites focuses on healthy eating, nutrition environments and on strengthening

the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern. The guides are based

on current science, public health research and national recommendations.

who should use Active Early & Healthy Bites?

The guides can be used by ECE professionals in a variety of settings, including:

• Group and family child care centers, after-school programs, Head Start centers and

other CACFP facilities

• Sponsoring agencies, community coalitions, local early childhood organizations,

government agencies and other groups interested in improving local nutrition and

physical activity practices in ECE settings

Child care programs will ﬁnd resources to help them learn what program policies to

create, what strategies to try, how to help staff improve physical activity and nutrition,

and how Active Early and Healthy Bites ﬁt with other Wisconsin early childhood

initiatives and licensing.

Child care teachers will ﬁnd speciﬁc recommendations for improving physical activity

and nutrition in their classrooms.

ECE training and technical assistance providers and community organizations

interested in improving local nutrition and physical activity in ECE settings also will

ﬁnd useful information for working with child care providers.

• 2 •

“ Children learn healthy habits

from the adults and caregivers

in their lives. We have the

opportunity to supply a

generation with nutritious

foods and healthy habits in

an environment that is fun

and safe and they trust us.”

– Jan Pelot

Wood County Head Start

Wisconsin Rapids

• 3 •

Early care and education (ECE)

programs refers to all group and

family child care centers, after-school

programs, preschool programs,

3K and 4K programs, Head Start

centers and emergency shelters

serving young children.

Parent(s), family(ies) and

caregiver(s) are used in the

broadest sense to mean those

adults with primary responsibility

for children.

Physical Activity describes bodily

movement of any type, including

recreation, ﬁtness and participation

in sports, as well as movement in

routine activities. Physical activity

varies in level of intensity:

• Sedentary, marked by little to

no activity, such as napping or

sitting quietly

• Light activity, such as coloring,

pushing toys on the ﬂoor, crawling,

walking at a slow pace

• Moderate activity, such as walking

at a fast pace, lifting or building

with blocks

• Vigorous activity, such as running

or jumping.

• Structured Physical Activity is

teacher-led and should occur both

indoors and outdoors.

• Unstructured Physical Activity is

initiated by a child, like free play,

and should occur both indoors

and outdoors.

Ages are generally broken down

into the following groups

• Infants: under 1 year

• Toddlers: 12-23 months

• Preschoolers: ages 2-5

• School-age: 6 years and older

common definitions

“ I think that each of these programs

is complementary in that they support

the ‘whole child’ and ensure that

children are getting a well-rounded early

childhood experience.”

– Brenda Flannery,

Lil Blessings Child Care, Crandon

Physical activity and nutrition have a place in nearly every aspect in the

current context of the ECE ﬁeld in Wisconsin.

Licensing & Certiﬁcation

Physical activity and nutrition clearly ﬁt within licensing and certiﬁcation

rules. For example, children must have outdoor play daily, weather

permitting, and all regulated group child care centers must follow the

current CACFP meal pattern guidelines.

YoungStar

Sixty minutes of daily physical activity can earn your child care program an

additional point in YoungStar. This could be the one point needed to push

your program into the next star-level. YoungStar also includes a point for

nutritious meals served daily. Providers can verify nutritious meals:

• By participating in the CACFP, including training associated with the

meal program

• By providing three months of menus to demonstrate well-balanced

meals and snacks

For more details about YoungStar, go to: http://dcf.wi.gov/youngstar

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards

Physical activity clearly ﬁts within the Health and Physical Development

Domain through skill and motor development, but also supports the other

four developmental domains. Nutrition also is covered in the Health and

Physical Development Domain and covers standards related to role model-

ing healthy eating habits, self feeding and table manners during mealtimes.

The Pyramid Model of Social Emotional Development

Establishing high-quality supportive environments and engaging in new

experiences, such as learning about and trying new foods or physical

activities contribute to social and emotional development. For example,

children establish self-awareness as they learn about their bodies and how

to move them, whereas experiences like family style dining can develop

a child’s awareness for appropriate social behavior.

how do Active Early & Healthy Bites fit into

Wisconsin’s existing early childhood initiatives?

• 4 •

Across the nation, early childhood obesity and

overweight rates are on the rise. In Wisconsin, 31

percent of low-income 2-4 year-olds, 25.1 percent

of high school students, and 64.9 percent of adults

are considered overweight or obese.

1-3

Poor nutrition

and lack of physical activity are central causes of

obesity. Action is needed now to decrease rates of

obesity and improve the health of Wisconsin residents.

Researchers have warned that if childhood obesity

rates continue to rise, children today are likely to

live shorter lives than their parents.

Early childhood

obesity dramatically increases a child’s chances of

becoming an obese adult and increases risk for

many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular

disease and diabetes.

Physical activity and eating habits develop early,

making early care and education settings important

in preventing obesity. Wisconsin has the capacity to

serve more than 170,000 children in regulated child

care facilities. On average, children under age 5 spend

more than 30 hours per week in early childhood settings.

Studies show that early care and education settings

have the ability to combat childhood obesity by

promoting the following habits:

• Be more physically active

• Watch less television and spend less time using

computers and electronic games

• Breastfeed infants longer

• Eat more fruits and vegetables

• Eat fewer high-energy dense foods, such as candy,

chips and cookies

• Drink fewer sugar-sweetened beverages such as

regular soda, fruit juice cocktails and energy drinks

Note: The contents of the guides are subject to

change, based on new science, public health research

and national health recommendations. The online

version of the guides will be updated as needed.

The most current version is available on the following

websites: http://dpi.wi.gov/fns/cacfpwellness.html and

www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/Sites/

Community/Childcare/index.htm.

Citations

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pediatric and Pregnancy

Nutrition Surveillance System. 2010.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveil-

lance – United States, 2009. Surveillance Summaries. MMWR. 2010;59.

why Active Early & Healthy Bites?

• 3 •

Behavioral Factors, such as diet and

physical activity levels

Environmental factors, such as social

setting and physical environment

Biological Factors, such as genetics

Other contributors:

• Eating patterns

• Low-birth weight

• Excessive weight gain during pregnancy

• Formula feeding

• Overweight/obese parents

• Parenting styles and habits

What causes obesity?

Obesity is a condition in which

there is a very large amount of extra

body fat stored in the body.

Overweight is a condition in

which there is more body fat stored

in the body than what is normal for

a person’s age, height and build,

but not to the extent of obesity.

Prevention is the act

of stopping something before

it happens.

• 5 •

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance

System Survey Data. In: U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention,

ed. Atlanta, GA2007-2009.

4. Olshansky SJ, Passaro DJ, Hershow RC, et al.

A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in

the United States in the 21st Century. New

England Journal of Medicine. 2005;352(11):

1138-1145.

5. Serdula MK, Ivery D, Coates RJ, Freedman DS,

Williamson DF, Byers T. Do Obese Children

Become Obese Adults - A Rreview of the

Literature. Preventive Medicine.

Mar 1993;22(2):167-177.

6. Overturf Johnson J. Who’s Minding the Kids?

Child Care Arrangements: Winter 2002.

Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau;2005.

how do I use Active Early & Healthy Bites?

First, assess your program using the Let’s Move! Child Care Checklist (Step 1) found in Appendix A.

Use these results to prioritize any areas where you want to make changes and identify physical activity

goals. Keep in mind not all areas need to be addressed immediately.

Second, use the Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) (Step 2) found on page 8 and in Appendix C

to outline how you will make your improvements. Use the Take Action section, which includes

recommendations for best practice, and environment and program policy changes, to develop

the QIP. These will become your desired outcomes. It is especially important to include written

program policies to support and sustain the improvements you want to make.

Next, implement changes (Step 3) using ideas and tools from the Take Action section. How you

implement changes will be determined by the tasks outlined in your QIP, potential barriers,

responsible parties, and available resources.

Lastly, repeat the assessment (Step 4) process on a regular basis. Ongoing assessments can direct

your program toward additional opportunities for improvement. You can continue to measure your

progress toward your goals and gauge your success using the QIP. Please note that you should also

evaluate your program for nutrition improvements by completing the self-assessment in Healthy Bites.

The diagram below was adapted from the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Teaching Cycle.

Steps 1 & 4:

Program Assessment

Use the Let’s Move! Child Care Checklist to get a picture of

your current program and to prioritize areas that need improve-

ment. Repeat assessment to understand whether your policy

and program changes were effective.

Implement changes using ideas and tools from

the Take Action section to help make positive

changes to your child care center.

Based on your assessment results, use the Take Action

section to create a Quality Improvement Plan and

write program policies.

Steps 3:

Implement Changes

Step 2:

Quality Improvement Plan & Policy Development

• 6 •

Active Early

Take Action includes:

• Development

• Child Assessment

• Daily Routines

• Environment

• Resources

• Business Practices

In each section you will ﬁnd:

• An overview of the topic

• Quick tips

• Activity Ideas

• Inclusion

• Cultural Competency

• Tools included in the appendix

• Engaging Families

• Engaging Communities

• 7 •

Assessment is often an overlooked step. However, taking the time to assess

your program increases the chances that you will make the right changes

with the most impact for children, staff and parents. The strategies outlined

below can be used for Active Early and Healthy Bites and will help determine

what currently is being done and what more can be done in the future to

improve nutrition and physical activity in your program.

Start with the Let’s Move! Child Care Checklist:

Physical Activity and Screen Time Checklists

This self-assessment tool allows you to freely assess your environment,

policies and practices and will suggest key areas for improvement. See

Appendix A for a copy of the Let’s Move checklist. Healthy Bites includes

a nutrition self-assessment.

This tool can supplement the self-assessment required for YoungStar and will

help you look speciﬁcally at your program’s physical activity environment.

Ongoing Assessment for Evaluation and Quality Improvement

Document changes you are making to show if progress has been made in

the quality improvement areas. Repeat the self-assessment process on a

regular basis to ensure your QIP is still aligned with the type of improvements

you want to make. This will help you see the results of the changes made

and celebrate your successes.

Other Ideas for Assessment

It is important to engage families and center staff in the assessment

process as well. Use a simple questionnaire or interview.

Parent Survey: Use a questionnaire to ask parents for their opinions on

nutrition and physical activity in the program. The questionnaire could be

distributed at pick-up time or sent home with a child. Questions could be

used to ﬁnd out what, if any, concerns parents might have. Here are some

sample questions:

• Do you feel our program supports your child’s nutrition and physical

activity habits?

• Do you think our program regularly communicates information on nutrition

and/or physical activity?

Staff Interviews or Survey: Use a questionnaire to ask staff for their opinions

on what could be done to support nutrition and physical activity. This can

be used to learn more about staff interactions with children and parents and

to better understand the program’s environment. Asking staff their opinions

also may help build buy-in for making changes later. Some sample questions:

• What are you currently doing to support nutrition and physical activity?

• How can nutrition and physical activity be improved?

“ The self-assessment helped us to

understand the changes we had to

make to be better. The QIP helped us

understand what obstacles were keeping

us from being successful and what we

needed in order to improve physically.”

– Toni Nader, Library Square School, Kenosha

PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

understanding where you are & where to start

Quality

Improve-

ment

Area

Aim /

Desired

Outcome

Potential

Barriers

Tasks Responsible

Party(ies)

Resources

On-hand/

Resources

Needed

Measurement Timeline/

Benchmarks

Test of Plan

Physical

Activity

Provide

children

with regular

opportunities

for physical

activity

Physical

activity is

withheld

from children

who

misbehave

• Brainstorm

other ways to

guide children

who misbe-

have

• Create a

center policy

stating physical

activity won’t

be withheld

from children

who

misbehave

• Administra-

tor or owner

• Staff, if

applicable

• Creative

owner/staff

• Active Early

guide

• Alternatives

strategies

for guiding

children who

misbehave

created and

used.

• Policy created

• Brainstorm

this week

• Create and

implement

policy by end

of month.

Worth doing? Y or N

Measurable? Y or N

Improve Outcomes? Y or N

Inclusive? Y or N

Culturally Competent?

Y or N

Sample program policy: Our center will not withhold physical activity from children who misbehave.

• 8 •

directions

Using the results of the self-assessment, prioritize the quality improvement

area(s) to be completed within the plan. Not all physical activity areas need to

be addressed immediately. Start with three to ﬁve aims/outcomes to work on

at a time. More aims/outcomes can be overwhelming and too few will limit the

success you experience in your program. Be sure to write your goals in a way

that demonstrates how they are inclusive and culturally competent.

example

SAMP LE QUALITY IMP ROVEMENT P LAN

Original QIP Date: January 1, 20XX

Date of QIP Review: March 15, 20XX

• 9 •

Aim/Desired Outcome:

What you hope to achieve with your plan or your aim.

Barriers:

Problems, attitudes, and challenges you should think about and address

to achieve success.

Task(s):

Steps/strategies to reach an aim/desired outcome.

Responsible Party(ies):

The person(s) assigned to the task.

Resources On-hand/Resources Needed:

• Resources on-hand: People, time, materials, and know-how that already

exist within your program and could be used to accomplish your tasks.

• Resources needed: People, time, materials, and know-how outside of

your program needed to accomplish your tasks.

Measurement – How will the team know if the aim is achieved?

A simple way to track progress toward an aim/desired outcome. Successful

programs check in on average of every two weeks. For example, if you have

a goal of increasing physical activity you need to:

1) Understand how many minutes of physical activity is currently

happening on average throughout the program.

2) Introduce your task/strategy for achieving your goal.

3) Re-measure the amount of time of physical activity occurring in the

program after your strategy has been rolled out

4) If your goal has not been reached, try a new strategy

Timeline / Benchmarks:

The time frame that programs assign to a task or aim. Benchmarks are

the steps along the way that will let a program know they are on track

toward achieving their aim/outcome.

Test of Plan:

• Is this plan worth doing? Yes means you believe achieving your aim will

have positive results for children, families, staff, or your business.

• Is this plan concrete, speciﬁc, and measurable? Yes means that when

you look back at the aim, you will be able to show clear results through

your measurement.

• Will the result of this plan improve outcomes for children, families, staff, or your

business? Yes means there is a high likelihood that changes will be positive.

• Are the outcomes inclusive of all children, culturally competent, and

developmentally appropriate? Yes means these positive changes are good

for ALL children and families, including those with disabilities and other

special needs. Individualizing learning experiences and environments

accommodate optimal development for all children in care; for families with

a variety of points of view, life experiences, and cultural and language differ-

ences; and make sense for each age and stage of child development.

Dates:

Record the original date the QIP was

completed and the date(s) it was

reviewed for on-going assessment.

quality improvement plan definitions

SUCCESS STORY

Positive developments from regular active play

The Child and Family Center at Madison College has made great strides in keeping their kids

active and moving throughout the day. Lisa Jones, a teacher at the center, and the staff keep

a collection of physical activity ideas with them at all times to ensure they always know how to

encourage the children to keep moving. Lisa draws inspiration from Color Me Healthy, SPARK,

and Mailbox Magazine because she ﬁnds the physical activity ideas outlined in these resources

simple, effective, and often educational. For example, a popular game at the center called

“Rabbit Race” starts with paper carrots scattered around the room. Children then hop like

rabbits to collect as many carrots as possible.

“I recently introduced the colored scooters into my classroom and the children quickly adapted

to moving around the room on their stomachs or bottoms,” Lisa described, “The beneﬁts to the

children went beyond the physical aspect though. Socially they were able to ﬁgure out how to

maneuver the connected scooters together. At one point in time, we were all on them, 9 children

and one teacher, pretending it was a train. I thought it was amazing to see 2 and 3 year olds

working together in this way.

Since the Child and Family Center increased the amount of daily teacher-led physical activity,

teachers have noted that they need to discipline children less often, a positive development

that they attribute to the “controlled chaos” of regular active play.

When asked about the importance of teacher-led physical activity, Lisa said, “Teachers need to

participate in the activities, too. You have got to get up and move with them. When kids see you

doing the activities, they are more likely to get up and move with you, not to mention the impact

it has on our own health.”

“I dislike exercise, but I love to play,” Lisa added.

• 10 •

T A K E A C T I O N !

• 11 •

• 12 •

Physical Activity Recommendations

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RECOMMENDATIONS

Infants Toddlers Preschoolers School Age

Physical Activity

Physical activity and active

exploration daily.

At least than 60-90 minutes

per eight-hour child care

day

At least 90 to 120 minutes

per 8-hour child care day.

At least 60 minutes

of daily physical

activity.

Structured or

Teacher-Led

Daily caregiver-infant

interactions that encourage

physical activity and active

exploration.

At least 30 minutes per

eight-hour child care day

At least 60 minutes per

8-hour child care day

Unstructured

or Free Play

Active exploration and

physical activity daily.

At least 30 minutes per

eight-hour child care day

At least 60 minutes per

8-hour child care day

Outdoor Play

Play outdoors daily,

weather permitting.

• Make time for independent

gross motor play outdoors.

• Balance the use of riding

strollers with plenty of

independent outdoor

time.

Dress infants appropriately

for weather.

At least 2–3 times

(60 – 90 minutes) daily

of outdoor play, weather

permitting.

• Dress toddlers appropri-

ately for weather, including

appropriate footwear.

At least 2–3 times

(60 – 90 minutes) daily

of outdoor play, weather

permitting.

Dress children appropriately

for weather, including

appropriate footwear.

School aged

children should

have daily outdoor

time.

Sedentary Time

Infants should not be in

settings that restrict

movement for prolonged

periods of time.

No more than 60 minutes

of sedentary time per day.

No more than 15 minutes

at a time, unless sleeping.

No more than 60 minutes

of sedentary time per day.

No more than 15 minutes

at a time, unless sleeping.

School aged

children should

have no more than

120 minutes of

sedentary activity

at a time.

• 13 •

Physical Activity Recommendations, cont’d.

Infants Toddlers Preschoolers School Age

Physical Activity

Environment &

Practices

Place infants in safe

settings that:

• facilitate physical

activity

• promote the

development of

movement skills

• allow small and large

muscle activities

Make sure there is

plenty of:

• indoor and outdoor

space

• equipment for active

play

• opportunities to develop

gross and fine motor

skills

Physical activity should nev-

er be withheld for misbe-

havior. Instead, let children

calm themselves before

returning to active play.

Make sure there is

plenty of:

• indoor and outdoor

space

• equipment for active

play

• opportunities to

develop gross and

fine motor skills

Physical activity should nev-

er be withheld for misbe-

havior. Instead, let children

calm themselves before

returning to active play.

Physical activity should

include aerobic as well as

age-appropriate muscle-

and bone-strengthening

activities. (This can be done

in small doses of 10 – 15

minutes throughout the day.)

It is important to encourage

participation in physical

activities that are appropriate

for their age, that are fun,

and that offer variety.

It is not recommended to

play elimination games.

Screen Time

Zero hours of screen

time for infants

Zero hours for 2 year

olds and younger

Limit to educational

or active movement

programs

Less than 30 minutes per

week for 2 year olds

Limit to educational or

active movement

programs.

Limit screen time to less

than one hour a day.

In after school settings,

parent permission should

be requested for children

participating in any screen

time. This includes: TV/

DVD, computer, and video

games.

Sources: NAP SACC - Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care. Ammerman A, Ward DS, Benjamin SE, Ball SC, Sommers J, Malloy M, Dodds J. An Intervention to Promote Healthy Weight: Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-

Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) Theory and Design. Prev Chron Dis (serial online) 2007 July. Available from: www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/jul/toc.htm. AAP – American Academy of Pediatrics. Caring for Our Children: National Health and

Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 3rd Edition. RWJ – expert panel funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). Model Physical Activity Standards for Child-Care Providers (For Infants

Through Preschool-Age Children) Developed by the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN). NASPE - National Association for Sport and Physical Education. ECERS - R – Early Childhood Environ-

ment Rating Scale. SHAPES – Study of Healthy Activity & Eating Practices and Environments in Head Start. NYC – New YorK City standards. COC - Caring for Our Children, 3rd Edition Comprehensive Set of Standards (will be published in 2011)

Physical development refers to a child’s rate of

growth and control over muscles, coordination,

and ability to sit, stand, walk and run. Motor

development is part of physical development,

and refers to the growth in the ability of children

to use their bodies and physical skills.

Motor development can be divided into gross

motor skills and ﬁne motor skills.

• Gross motor skills refer to a child’s ability

to control larger parts of the body, including

balance, coordination, purposeful control,

locomotion and stability

• Fine motor skills refer to the level of

coordination of and ability to manipulate

smaller body parts (such as using thumb

and foreﬁnger to pick up a raisin)

o v e r v i e w

“ It is important to

be active for children

to build small and

large muscles and

to use the calories

they consume.”

– Darlene Tanck,

Dolly’s Daycare,

Merrill

• 14 •

DEVELOPMENT

A child’s ability to be physically active depends

on physical growth and development. There

are many aspects of physical and gross motor

development, including:

• Locomotor skills: rolling, crawling, walking

and running

• Balance and coordination skills: standing,

squatting, tiptoeing and jumping

• Manipulative skills: carrying, throwing

and catching

Although all children will not grow and develop

at the same rate, it is important to keep in mind

the overall patterns of growth in young children.

This growth pattern explains a lot about a child’s

movement and activity. Keep these key points

in mind as you are working with the children in

your care:

• At birth, the head is the fastest growing

part of the body.

o As a result, infants and toddlers have a

higher center of gravity

o This makes it difﬁcult to balance and is the

reason young children are likely to fall

• The torso lengthens throughout

early childhood.

o This lowers the center of gravity

o With this growth, children are able to

balance and are less likely to fall

o Children do not develop a center of

gravity similar to adults until about age 6

• Children grow from their torso out.

o Children’s arms grow before their hands,

which grow before their ﬁngers. Their

legs grow before their feet

o For this reason, children develop gross

motor skills before they develop ﬁne

motor skills

o Infants demonstrate this process as they

learn to grasp objects. Newborns will use

their entire arms to swipe at things. As they

grow, they begin to use their entire hands

to grab objects. Eventually they will use

their ﬁngers to grab objects

Brain Development refers to the growth of

the brain and the creation of new connections

in the brain. Movement and activity positively

impact brain development. Physical activity

helps the body make a chemical that acts like

Miracle-Gro for the brain.

A number of factors

inﬂuence early brain development:

• Physical activity

• Genetics

• Oxygen

• Responsiveness of caregivers

• Daily experiences

• Love

Language Development refers to the process

of learning to speak and communicate.

Language development is linked to physical

development. Knowing the words that describe

the body, types of movement, intensity,

direction and spatial relationships help children

learn, practice and master skills. Movement and

rhythm stimulate the brain (frontal lobes) and

enrich language and motor development.

q u i c k t i p

When participating in physical activity with the children in

your care, talk about movements using vocabulary that will

help children understand their activities.

“ I have been trying for months to teach a child to skip.

She is 4 1/2 and has a hard time crossing the midline with

her body, and I have been struggling to ﬁnd a way to teach

her. When given some of the tools, it was the Choosy CD that

helped teach these skills. The day she was able to skip, we

all got very excited and did a little dance. It was great to

see her feel so good about accomplishing the skill.”

– Teresa Storm, Tender Times Child Care, Amery

1 John Ratey, MD. Harvard Psychiatrist.

M o v e m en t & t h e B r a i n

Because the motor center affects

other parts of the brain, movement

assists in and benﬁts:

• Brain development

• Integration of senses

• Vision

• Hearing

• Coordination

• The ability to plan out a

movement before physically

taking action

D E V E L O P M E N T

• 15 •

Gross Motor Developmental Milestones: Quick Reference Chart

AGE Traveling Skills Balancing Skills Manipulative Skills

Birth to

1 year

• Holds head up steadily

• Lifts head/shoulders by propping up on arms

• Rolls over from back to stomach

• Crawls

• Pulls to Stand

• Sits alone momentarily

• Stands momentarily without support

• Can prop sit

• Rocks back and forth on hands and

knees

• Opens hand to release toy

• Reaches with one hand

• Bats at rattle that is held near

• Reaches for toy with entire hand

1 to 2

Years

• Cruises while holding on to furniture

• Walks across room, starting and stopping

• Walks up and down stairs, with support

• Walks independently

• Moves body in new ways, such as tumbling

• Walks sideways and backwards

• Walks to a ball and kicks it

• Runs alone

• Runs with increasing speed

• Jumps in place

• Jumps over objects or off a step

• Squats to pick up toys

• Stands on tiptoes to reach something

• Gets in and out of adult chair

• Kneels while playing

• Straddles across beam or sandbox

edge

• Tries to stand on a flat board

• Carries a large ball while moving

• Flings a beanbag

• Throws a ball or other object by

pushing it with both hands

• Catches a large, bounced ball against

body with straight arms

• Kicks a stationary ball

• Holds object in one hand and bangs an

object with the other

• Dumps pail with one hand and retrieves

shovel that falls out with other

• Throws ball intentionally

• Throws ball overhand, using both arms,

while standing

2 to 3

years

• Walks across room

• Uses a hurried walk

• Walks backwards

• Pushes a riding toy with feet while steering

• Uses a walker to get to the table

• Marches around room

• Walks up and down stairs alternating feet,

holding handrail or with help

• Jumps in place, two feet together

• Squats to pick up toys

• Stands on tiptoes to reach something

• Gets in and out of adult chair

• Kneels while playing

• Straddles a taped line on the ﬂoor

• Sidesteps a taped line on the ﬂoor

• Sidesteps across beam or sandbox edge

• Carries a large ball while moving

• Flings a beanbag

• Throws a ball or other object by pushing

it with both hands

• Catches a large, bounced ball against the

body with arms straight

• Kicks a stationary ball

• 16 •

D E V E L O P M E N T

Gross Motor Developmental Milestones: Quick Reference Chart, cont’d.

• 17 •

AGE Traveling Skills Balancing Skills Manipulative Skills

3 to 4

years

• Runs

• Avoids obstacles and people while moving

• Walks up and down stairs alternating feet

• Climbs at least two rungs of a jungle gym

• Climbs up and down on playground

equipment

• Rides tricycle using feet to push forward

• Rides tricycle using pedals

• Gallops, but not smoothly

• Jumps over objects or off a step

• Walks forward along sandbox edge,

watching feet

• Jumps off low step, landing on two

feet

• Jumps over small objects

• Throws a ball or other object

• Traps thrown ball against body

(bending arms when catching)

• Strikes a balloon with a large paddle

• Kicks ball forward by stepping or

running up to it

4 to 5

years

• Runs smoothly, quickly changes directions and

stops/starts quickly

• Jumps and spins

• Marches

• Moves through obstacle course

• Gallops and skips with ease

• Plays “Follow the Leader” using a variety of

traveling movements

• Plays games that require jumping or kicking

a ball

• Hops across the playground; hops on

one foot then the other

• Walks across beam or sandbox edge,

forward and backward

• Attempts to jump rope

• Hops, skips or twirls around and stops

without falling

• Steps forward to throw ball and follows

through

• Catches a thrown ball with both hands

• Throws a hand-sized ball

• Dribbles a ball

• Strikes a stationary ball

• Bounces and catches a ball

• Kicks moving ball while running

• Pounds with, shakes, twists or swings an

arm or leg

From Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children From Birth to Age 5, 2nd Ed. (2009), www.AAHPERD.org, National Association of Sport and Physical Education

“ Give babies safe objects to pick up,

put in their mouths, handle and throw

down. These activities help them

develop hand-eye coordination.”

– From Dr. Craft’s Active Play! page 98

Infants are absorbing all of the information

around them as they learn to control their

movements. They not only communicate

through cries, but also their body language.

Child care providers can actively support

the physical, cognitive and language

development of the infants in their care.

Physical Development

“Tummy time” encourages physical

development in infants by giving them time

to practice raising their heads and upper

bodies, which will eventually develop into

crawling. This also gives infants the

opportunity to learn to roll over. Even

young infants should experience tummy

time. Additionally, you can begin to gently

move the arms and legs of younger infants

back and forth and side to side. As infants

grow, you can use favorite objects to

encourage infants to wiggle and move.

i n f a n t s

Pillow Obstacle Course

Place pillows and couch cushions on the ﬂoor

for baby to creep, crawl, roll and climb over

and around.

– Dr. Craft’s Active Play! page 99

a c t i v i t y i d e a

• 18 •

“ For the infant, I watch him closely

and change the environment so

he has safe opportunities to climb,

pull himself up, and also to support

his body so he can bounce and

dance with the other children.”

– Brenda Flannery,

Lil Blessings Child Care, Crandon

Keep it Simple! It is impor-

tant for toddlers to master

what they can do before

moving on to the next stage

of development.

q u i c k t i p

Language Development

Long before young children begin to

form speech, infants soak in the sights and

sounds around them that are essential to

language development. As you touch and

move infants and encourage physical activity,

talk to them continuously. Say the names of

different parts of the body as you move them

and describe the motions they are making.

Brain Development

Touch is an important stimulant for brain

development. Take time to find out

what the infants in your care enjoy. For

example, one infant might like the arms

and hands to be gently stroked, while

another may respond better to a ﬁrmer

touch. Some opportunities for stimulating

brain development include crossing

infants’ arms and legs over the midlines

of their bodies. This will lead to improved

physical coordination.

It is important for caregivers working with

toddlers to realize that every child has an

individual rate of growth and development.

This will help providers encourage the pro-

gressive skill development for this age group.

Physical Development

As toddlers’ bodies grow taller and their

arms and legs become stronger, balance

and coordination improve. As you promote

physical activity in your program, remember

that physical growth and development

happen in a sequence. For example, a

toddler learns to stand before walking,

and walks before running. Think about the

sequence of skill development as you design

activities for the toddlers in your care.

Brain Development

The brain itself and the connections in

the brain grow rapidly in toddlers. These

connections help toddlers build not only

the skills needed to be active but also

cognitive and social skills. Toddlers need

a variety of experiences to continue to

stimulate brain development. Movement

and physical activity stimulate the brain

and promote learning, so it is important

that toddlers have space and encourage-

ment to keep moving throughout the

day. Nutrition and sleep are also vital for

brain development.

Language Development

As toddlers learn new words, they need

context to accompany those words and

you may ﬁnd that you need context to

understand the words they are using. When

teaching toddlers new vocabulary relating to

physical activity, build from simple vocabu-

lary such as up, down, in, out, fast, slow,

jump and hop. Model what new words

mean so toddlers have the context

needed to add the words to their own

speech. Don’t worry if toddlers use

words incorrectly—continue to use

and repeat the words, modeling

them each time.

t o d d l e r s

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Clean Up the Floor

Indoor throwing practice has never been

more fun! Dump a basket full of rolled-up

pairs of socks and watch all of the children

have a wonderful time cleaning up the ﬂoor.

Learn more about this activity on page 40

of Dr. Craft’s Active Play!

• 19 •

D E V E L O P M E N T

“ I have found that with

increasing the amount of

physical activity in my

2-year-old classroom that

the children have a better

appetite, take a good nap

and even some behavior

issues have lessened”

– Debbie Wright,

COA Child Care Center,

Milwaukee

Many people believe young children are

naturally active enough. Preschoolers may

seem to be always on the move; however,

research shows that much of their physical

activity is light, including sitting, squatting,

laying down, standing and walking. On aver-

age, today’s preschoolers are not as active

as in previous generations, nor are they as

active as they need to be to stay healthy.

Physical Development

During the preschool years, children develop

more complex gross motor skills that usually

involve several stages. For example, skipping

requires coordinating steps and hops, and

riding a tricycle involves steering and pedal-

ing. Give your preschoolers time to practice

their gross motor skills every day.

While gross motor skills are developing

quickly so are ﬁne motor skills. These skills

help children make smaller movements and

include holding and using small objects, such

as crayons and pencils, with ﬁngers rather

than ﬁsts. Although we often think about ﬁne

motor skills in terms of writing or drawing, we

also use these skills in physical activity. We

need ﬁne motor skills to be able to hold and

manipulate smaller objects, for example a

baseball. As gross and fine motor skills

continue to develop, preschoolers improve

their motor control and hand-eye coordina-

tion, both of which foster physical activity.

Brain Development

Throughout the preschool years, the brain

continues to grow and develop and experi-

ences spurts of developing connections.

These connections in the brain are critical for

healthy development, enabling children to

sharpen, control and coordinate both their

gross motor and ﬁne motor skills. Experi-

ence stimulates all of this brain activity and

children need opportunities to learn, practice

and master physical activities.

Language Development

Preschoolers learn new words at an amazing

rate. They will use words they are familiar

with to expand, increase and explore their

vocabulary. Children can learn terms such as

swaying, exercise and heart rate when you

introduce them alongside words they already

know. The more they can see you model the

meaning of words, the more they are able

to use these words themselves. Additionally,

preschoolers learn grammar at the same

time as vocabulary, so they are better able

to understand and follow instructions that

include more than one step.

p r e s c h o o l e r s

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Animal Movements

Choose the favorite animals of the

children in your care, making cards to

act as cues for movement. Get your CD

player ready for children to move like their

favorite animals when the music is play-

ing. To begin this activity, choose a card

and then start the music. When the music

stops, the children freeze and wait to see

which animal card will be chosen for

them to imitate next. Be sure to take

this opportunity to teach movement

vocabulary, using phrases such as “walk

like a crab” and “hop like a bunny.”

• 20 •

“ To be able to jump

over the limbo bar

when it is at its

highest, they are so

proud they can do it.”

– April Orth,

April’s Child Care,

Salem

Working with children of multiple ages means

working with children in completely different

stages of development. It is important to know

where each child is in terms of physical, brain

and language development so you can

adapt activities, routines and environments

to address the developmental stages of

all children.

Multi-age groups can occur in centers with

multiple staff members to help or in home

environments with only one provider. With a

variety of developmental levels, activities have

to be ﬂexible. Here are some ideas to engage

multiple developmental levels in one activity:

1. Scaffolding. This is a great tool when

you have two children close in age and

ability, with one slightly ahead of the

other. Give the children a physical activity

that involves the older child helping the

younger child, such as dribbling a ball,

throwing a ball through a hoop or

swinging. This will help both children

develop their skills.

2. Support child-initiated activity. Large dice

with different gross motor skills on each

side or picture ﬂashcards depicting gross

motor skills are great tools for promoting

self-directed play. Older children can take

turns rolling the dice or picking cards and

acting out their own physical activities.

3. Make the best of technology (but only

when you really need it!). When the day

is hectic and you need a quick distraction

for the children, it is helpful to have music

and movement CDs and active DVDs

on hand.

m u l t i - a g e g r o u p s

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Scarves of Many Colors

Have each child pick out a different colored scarf and act out things

found in nature, such as trees, water, the sky or animals.

Give scarves to infants as well so they can learn from sensory exploration.

Infants also will see the older children and process what they are doing.

• 21 •

D E V E L O P M E N T

• 22 •

Physical activity may be different for

children with a developmental disability.

If you are working with a child who has

an identiﬁed developmental disability,

think about how physical activity

opportunities can be adapted to meet

the child’s individual needs. Here are

a few examples:

• A child with a speech or language

delay or hearing loss may need more

frequent visual and verbal cues, such

as counting to three by voice and on

your ﬁngers, and jumping three times

• A child with a cognitive delay may

need instructions broken into small,

simple steps. The child may beneﬁt

from partnering with a friend who

can help demonstrate the steps

• A child with autism may be more or

less sensitive to noise, touch or light.

You may need to adapt equipment,

materials and the environment.

Additionally, routines are very

important with activities occurring at

the same times throughout the day

• A child with physical challenges

can thrive in environments that

provide ample space to navigate.

Include adaptive equipment and

store materials accessibly. You can

modify activities to use different

body parts or motions

Be careful not to generalize. Not every

child with a certain type of disability

or delay will respond to the same

adaptations. Get to know the children

in your care and customize adjustments

to each child.

If you are aware that a child is

developing at a different rate or in a

different way, be sensitive to the needs

of that child and the child’s parents.

Be sure you understand the child’s

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

or Individualized Family Service Plan

(IFSP) and how it relates to physical

activity. Physical activity should be

ﬂexible and adaptable to all children

in your care. Resources are available

to help you adapt activities and

materials so all children can participate

in physical activity.

i n c l u s i o n

c u l t u r a l

c o m p e t e n c y

One of the most important concepts

in cultural competency is to honor the

individual. The best way to ensure you

are honoring each child’s culture is to

get to know every family in your care

through constant communication about

each child’s progress and needs and to

understand the values of each family.

Ways to learn a family’s culture and how

physical activity is viewed include:

• Ask questions about physical activity

in interviews and conferences

• Have an “All About Me” section in your

curriculum. Include pieces that ask how

children and families are active. Include

photos of physical activity to promote

physical activity in your classroom and

at home

• Do a physical activity Show-and-Tell.

Children can share a game or activity

they do with their families at home. You

may learn new games and activities too

t o o l s i n c l u d e d

• Language Development Chart.

Use this chart to refresh your movement

vocabulary so you can teach your children

how to communicate about movement

and physical activity. (Appendix D)

“ At our parent events, we always incorporate

a movement activity. The best so far was

dads doing a rhythm stick dance.”

– Verna Drake,

Westby Day Care and Learning Center,

Westby

)

• 23 •

D E V E L O P M E N T

eng agi ng f amili es

Plan family nights that focus on physical

development and activity. This will also

give you an opportunity to learn how

active lifestyles ﬁt into the cultures of

the families in your program.

engaging communities

Collaborate with your local children’s

museum to promote physical activity.

Consider exhibits designed to educate

families about physical development

and promote physical activity.

“We had a father who is a teacher

in the public school come in and

do a “Family Activity Night.”

We had several stations set

up for active participation,

including a stretching station,

obstacle course, family

tug-o-war, hula hoops and

ﬁll in the bucket activities.

We had a great number of

families participate.”

– Wendy Eagon,

University Children’s Center,

Menasha

Child Assessment evaluates individual devel-

opmental patterns and milestones, including

the development of gross motor and ﬁne

motor skills. Observing and documenting

each child’s development helps to:

• Identify delays or any unusual develop-

ment for early intervention

• Understand each child’s capabilities so

that lesson plans address the needs of

all children

• Sequence skill development throughout

a curriculum

• Know how to adapt physical activity

programs and environments

• Observe a child’s behavior and understand

more about the reasons or context for

those behaviors

o v e r v i e w

• 24 •

The Gross Motor Developmental Milestones Quick

Reference Chart (on pages 16 and 17) will help you

observe and assess the physical development of

individual children in your care. Features include:

• A focus on physical development and skills

• Skill categories within the physical development domain

• Suggestions for sequencing physical skill development

• Separate versions created for different age groups

as s essing the ch i ldren

in your p r ogram

“ I have used my observa-

tions to plan opportunities

that encourage physical

activity for an infant, three

2-year olds, one 4-year-old

and two 6-year-olds. Some

of the ways that I have

done this is to watch for the

types of activities that are

piquing their curiosity at

each age.”

– Brenda Flannery,

Lil Blessings Child Care,

Crandon

CHILD ASSESSMENT

C H I L D A S S E S S M E N T

• 25 •

how to fit assessment

in t o your day

Observing the physical and gross motor

development of the children in your care

does not have to feel like an extra responsi-

bility to ﬁt into the day. You can purposefully

plan activities to help you assess skills and

strategically place your recording tools for

easy access during the day. You can make

useful observations while you interact with

children, lead activities, support child-initiated

play, and reﬂect back on the day’s events.

Documentation

To make documentation easy, think about

how your environment is set up and which

methods of documenting will work best for

you. In their book Focused Observations:

How to Observe Children for Assessment

and Curriculum Planning, Gaye Gronlund and

Marlyn James discuss a variety of tools and

ideas you can use to record a child’s develop-

ment. Included are an observations record, a

quick check recording sheet, a ﬁle folder and

sticky notes, and a folder with index cards.

You may want to carry a tab of paper or a ring

of index cards to jot down notes throughout

the day, or you may prefer to have a clip-

board for each child that you ﬁll in during

quieter times of the day or after children

have gone home.

Don’t be discouraged if you have to try a few

methods to ﬁnd out what works best for you

and your program. This just means that you

have really ﬁgured out what works best!

a picture of the physical development of all

of your children, you can prepare adaptations

for children at different skill levels. Be sure to

communicate successes to parents and give

them ideas of how to continue their child’s

growth and development at home.

co n sidera t ions

for all ages

Children grow up fast and it is important to

record and document their development.

• Use a variety of activities to help assess

skills children have mastered, skills they

continue to practice and improve, and skills

that may need extra attention

• Make regular observations of how children

respond to and participate in physical activity,

how they initiate their own physical activity,

and how they continue to develop physically

• Communicate observations with parents.

Consider adding a physical development

section to your daily report or creating a

development portfolio that is frequently

shared with parents

• Involve parents in assessment by inviting

them to share their observations from home

or encouraging them to contribute to their

child’s portfolio

q u i c k t i p s

• Have the tools used to record

observations and assessment easily

accessible in your home or classroom.

For example, keep an index card for

each child on a ring that clips to your

belt loop.

• Observation and assessment are an

ongoing process. Once you have

completed your action steps, start

observation and assessment again to

evaluate progress and identify new

areas for improvement.

• Keep a journal of successful physical

activity. You can look back and see

progress and remember why you

do what you do!

wh a t come s afte r

as s essmen t ?

Create action steps for child development.

Once you have assessed the children in your care,

use the information gained to create schedules

and lesson plans that provide time to practice

skills and foster physical development. Because

your assessment has provided

i n f a n t s

Assess infants’ physical development by

engaging them in a variety of activities

that will help you see their progress

toward various milestones, such as grabbing,

sitting and crawling. For example, use

the Tummy Time activity below to assess

infants’ development in terms of lifting

their heads, holding their heads up, rolling

over and crawling. Use your interactions

as a method of assessment as well. Lead

infants in little activities throughout

the day, such as grabbing for different

objects, dancing around the room

with an infant in your arms, and

moving infants’ arms, legs, fingers

and toes as you name these body

parts out loud. Observe how infants

react to different activities and how they

start to initiate their own movements as

well as their continued physical development.

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Tummy Time

Place an infant on his or her tummy. Roll brightly-

colored soft play balls nearby. Encourage the

infant to follow the balls (visually from side to

side), reach for and touch the balls.

Equipment: Soft blanket or mat, colored balls

Time frame: 5-10 minutes or until interest

is lost

Adaptations: Adjust the distance that balls

are rolled; change the texture or size of balls

q u i c k t i p

Touch a toy to the infants’ hands to

encourage grabbing every day. As they

develop, you will see infants progress

from using their entire arms to swipe at

objects to using their entire hands to

grab, then just using their ﬁngers to grab.

With increased mobility in

toddlers, be sure to arrange

safe, low places for climbing

and provide toys that can be

pushed or pulled. This will

help them develop all of the

gross motor skills, including

traveling, and manipulative

and stabilizing skills.

q u i c k t i p

• 26 •

C H I L D A S S E S S M E N T

t o d d l e r s

By providing a variety of materials and toys that

emphasize gross motor development, such as

soft materials to throw and catch (e.g., scarves

and Mylar balloons) and portable toys that can

be pushed or pulled, you will have the opportu-

nity to observe the toddlers in your care as they

explore the materials available.

You also can structure activities for toddlers so

speciﬁc gross motor skills and physical activities

can be observed. For example, the Scavenger

Hunt described at right allows you to observe

traveling skills such as walking or running,

manipulative skills such as pushing and pull-

ing, and stabilizing skills such as standing and

balancing while reaching. If a truck push toy is

placed on the opposite side of the room, you

could observe the toddler walking, pushing and

balancing. If a ball is placed on a shelf that is a

little higher than the toddler, you could observe

the child’s ability to reach and balance. The

options are endless and they are all up to you!

p r e s c h o o l e r s &

o l d e r c h i l d r e n

Structure a variety of activities to observe

preschoolers’ gross motor skills and physical

development. Think about speciﬁc skills

you are interested in assessing and how you

can engage children in practicing those skills.

For example, you might want to use yoga

cards to have children practice different

balancing skills, such as standing on one foot,

squatting, and standing on tiptoes. Addition-

ally, you could create dice to use in practicing

different traveling skills. Have a different trav-

eling skill, such as walking, running or sliding,

on each side of the die. Then have children

roll the die and practice the skill!

Space Invaders

Prepare a 10-foot by 10-foot square marked with clear

lines. As children move through this space, assess the

personal space and general space that children travel

in. Use cues such as “Look at our small play area.

When I say ‘go,’ walk around our play area without

bumping into anyone else.” You can use this time

to observe and record posture, speed and comfort.

Say, “Now run in our play area without bumping into

anyone else.” Observe and record again.

Equipment: Four cones or place-markers and tape

Time Frame: 10 minutes

Adaptations: Make multiple play areas to

accommodate more than 4 or 5 children. Encourage

children to use other locomotor skills, such as walking

backward or hopping. Play music in the background

q u i c k t i p

Create activity cards that capture

animals, objects or people in

different balancing positions. For

example, show a stork standing

on one foot, a frog squatting or

a toy soldier standing at atten-

tion. Try making cards for other

skill sets, such traveling skills or

object-manipulation skills.

a c t i v i t y i d e a s

Scavenger Hunt

Place favorite toys all over the room so toddlers must get to

the toys by crawling, cruising or walking. Choose a variety of

toys that will give toddlers a chance to feel different textures,

see different colors, and carry objects of different shapes and

weights. Use this time to observe and record gross motor skills.

Equipment: Children’s favorite toys

Time Frame: 5-10 minutes or until interest is lost

Adaptations: Adjust the distance between items

• 27 •

m u l t i - a g e g r o u p s

Multi-age groups of children bring a special

quality to the assessment process. Younger

children watch older children to see how they

move. Regardless of age, providers should

always try to understand each child’s

preferred method of learning. But with a

multi-age group you can really see how

interactions between children who have

mastered a skill and children who are

learning a skill can promote physical and

gross motor development. Your observations

can then inform your lesson-planning processes

so that more activities are structured in a

way that helps children of varying ages learn.

q u i c k t i p

Often the best way to learn something

is to teach it to someone else. Have an

older child teach a new physical activity

or gross motor skill to a younger child.

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Follow the Leader, Simon Says, or Copy-cat

Choose an activity in which children have to mimic one another, such as

Follow the Leader, Simon Says or Copy-cat. Instruct older children to lead

different activities so you have an opportunity to observe the skills of younger

children. If you have speciﬁc skills that you would like to assess, make cards

or dice that can be rolled to give the older children guidance in selecting

activities. Then switch and have the younger children lead the game.

Equipment: None necessary, but props such as dice, bean bags or

scarves could be used

Time Frame: Variable

Adaptations: Go indoors and outdoors for variation. Depending on the

size of your group, you may want to expand or limit the space available

• 28 •

C H I L D A S S E S S M E N T

i n c l u s i o n

Do not assume a child has a developmental

delay or disability if he or she has yet to reach

a developmental milestone. Think about

possible explanations, including health

problems, the family’s culture and the child’s

history. After exploring these options, if you

still feel a child may not be developing nor-

mally, then take action.

If you have concerns about how a child

is developing, discuss your observations

and concerns with the child’s parents.

Sensitivity is important. Your goal in discussing

this with the parents is to support them in

providing the best care for their child. This

can be done through giving parents support

and understanding. It is best to objectively tell

them your observation and recommend they

discuss this with their child’s pediatrician.

c u l t u r a l c om p e t e n c y

Understanding a family’s values and culture

before starting assessment is helpful, but it

is never too late to learn more. As you are

assessing the individual development of each

child in your care, you will see differences,

and it is important to understand why these

differences exist.

Culture can be one reason for differences.

For example, in one family it may be the

norm for a child to wait patiently to be

invited to join an activity, while in another

family, the child may be encouraged to

actively explore their environment at any time.

When assessing development, asking “why?”

is critical. It is important to understand why a

child has or has not achieved a developmental

milestone. Understanding a family’s values

and culture will help you make reasonable

conclusions about a child’s development. Be

sure to look at the broader picture of a child’s

life before drawing conclusions about devel-

opment. When culture and assessment

are brought together, you also have the

advantage of using the information to

create culturally appropriate lesson plans

and classroom environments so they are

truly supportive to the children in your care.

e n g a g i n g f a m i l i e s

Use portfolios to share children’s physical

and gross motor development progress

with families. This could include photos,

quotes from the children, and objective,

strengths-based observations!

engaging communities

Encourage your community to assess its own

commitment to physical activity. Counties,

cities and neighborhoods routinely conduct

community needs assessments. Challenge

your community to make physical activity

a part of its next needs assessment!

• 29 •

t i p s f o r c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h p a r e n t s

Be strengths-based…

• Be kind

• Be warm

• Be real

• Be of service

• Be child-focused

• Be aware of parent reactions

Be an active listener…

• Present

• Patient (avoid interrupting)

• Accepting

• Nonjudgmental

• Curious

Be a cooperative partner…

• Share information with parents

• Invite parents to share information

• Create next steps with parents

DAILY ROUTINES

• 30 •

Schedules

Daily schedules can help you ensure that

physical activity is intentionally planned every

day. Here are a few things to consider when

creating your schedule:

• Make time for at least 60 minutes of

child-led, free active play each day

• Incorporate teacher-led activities throughout

the day for a total of 60 minutes each day

• Make sure teacher-led and child-initiated

active play occur both indoors and outdoors

• Plan for physical activity throughout the day,

but stay ﬂexible. Make a backup plan for

physical activity for those days that don’t

go as planned

• Make your schedule visible to the children so

they can tell when they will have their next

opportunity to be active and release energy

• Provide adequate rest times for children

• Encourage parent involvement on a regular

basis. Ask parents to join in opportunities for

physical activity, send home information about

physical activity in newsletters, and share each

child’s successes in daily reports for parents

o v e r v i e w

To promote health and prevent obesity, physical activity must become a daily habit for children

starting at an early age. Adding 120 minutes of physical activity into each day may seem extremely

difﬁcult; however, this is not the case. Early care and education programs around the state of

Wisconsin have successfully integrated 120 minutes of physical activity into their schedules,

transitions and lesson plans without having to add time to their days!

“ I ﬁnd that the children

are able to focus and

learn better after

implementing 120

minutes of physical

activity in our daily

schedule.”

– Kimberley Yehle,

Library Square School,

Kenosha

)

c o n s i d e r a t i o n s f o r a l l a g e s

“A balance of structure

and ﬂexibility means that

the basic schedule is set,

and everyone can depend

on it. Yet the schedule can

be changed or modiﬁed,

depending on the day —

the weather, moods and

interests of the children...”

– All About the ECERS-R

page 359

D A I L Y R O U T I N E S

“For young children,

curriculum is

everything that

happens, including

the transitions, spills,

spats and naps.”

– Curriculum That Matters

by Margie Carter

• 31 •

Transitions

Transitions provide an excellent opportunity to

promote physical activity throughout the day.

Whether you are moving from free play to group

time or from outdoors to indoors you can also give

children the opportunity to develop skills and

release energy. Keep these tips in mind for

successful and smooth transitions:

• View transition times as opportunities to utilize

and practice gross motor development skills

• Active transitions can help meet the recom-

mendations for teacher-led physical activity for

toddlers and preschoolers. For example, as

children wait to wash their hands, play Simon

Says or simply have children jump rather than

walk from one space to another

• As you lead children in activities, model physi-

cal activity for them. This makes expectations

for each activity clear

“ The most important lesson I’ve

learned regarding physical

activity is that you can ﬁt it

into your day during times

that you were previously

inactive. The children in my

care love to do jumping jacks

while waiting for everyone

to be ready for lunch.

Being active can be simple,

spontaneous and fun!”

– Gail Pitzen, Country Care

Children’s Center, Cuba City

)

• Plan ahead. Active transitions that are thought

out and well-designed maximize success

• Strive to meet both group and individual needs

for physical activity. Provide modiﬁcations for

children with more advanced skills

• Always give children clear expectations and simple

directions for transitions so they occur smoothly

Lesson Planning

Lesson plans ensure that physical activity is

integrated into every part of the day across all

content areas. Physical activity can be integrated

into each part of your day. Ideas include:

• Integrate physical activity into ALL curriculum

content areas, including literacy and mathematics.

For example, children can act out stories and

use mathematics as a guide for active indoor

or outdoor exploration

• Use movement as one method of learning. Children

will be more successful when they have the opportu-

nity to learn from seeing, hearing and doing

• When creating lesson plans, think about ways

to introduce new materials that will be

available during free choice times

• Model how to use any new movement materials that

you provide for children. When children of all ages

know how and when to use materials, there will be

fewer mishaps during the week

• Plan out physical activities for group times through-

out the week, including a couple of backup ideas,

just in case

• As you create the lesson plans, outline clear expecta-

tions, simple directions and goals for activities. This

will ensure the success of your active lesson plans

Individualized infant schedules should take

into account each infant’s developmental

progress and preferences. This means that

two infants may be engaged in activities that

look quite different. (See sample schedule in

Appendix F). Physical activity opportunities are

spread throughout the day. Ideas include:

• Include two or three opportunities for

tummy time, so infants can practice

lifting their heads and focusing on objects

in front of them

• As you go through the motions of changing

diapers, talk to infants about their movements

• As you transition for sleeping periods, move

the infant’s arms and legs up and down and

across the midlines before swaddling. Talk to

the infant all the time, describing movements

• To promote physical activity, try to reduce

or even eliminate the use of restrictive

equipment such as bouncy seats or swings

Think about ways to integrate other

experiences that will help infants’ future

physical and gross motor development. For

example, the sensory experiences integrated

into the activity at right can transform tummy

time into an opportunity for an infant to

practice tracking the motion of an object.

This will later help with hand-eye coordination

and the manipulation of objects.

i n f a n t s

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Jazzed Up Tummy Time

During tummy time, place infants on their

tummies on a soft blanket. With the lights

dimmed softly, play Twinkle, Twinkle Little

Star. Roll a light-up Mylar water ball between

yourself and another child care provider or

an older child. This adds sensory experiences

and helps infants develop visual tracking

skills during routine tummy time.

Equipment: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

music, a light-up Mylar water ball, a blanket

Time Frame: 5 to 10 minutes or until

interest is lost

Adaptations: Adjust the speed at which you

roll the ball so the infant is not overwhelmed,

but remains interested

• 32 •

q u i c k t i p

Toddlers love to move!

Allow lots of opportunities

for movement throughout

the day. Create cards with

quick ideas to help you get

them moving!

Toddlers need 90 minutes of physical activity each

day, including 30 minutes of teacher-led physical

activity. Here are some ideas and considerations

for incorporating opportunities for physical and

gross motor development in daily routines into

toddlers’ daily routines:

• Focus your lesson planning around reﬁning skills

that toddlers have developed. For example,

toddlers can run, but they are not yet agile or fast,

so give them opportunities to practice this skill

• Make your schedule visible to toddlers and use

symbols and pictures that let them know what is

coming next

• Use larger blocks of time in your schedule to

maintain ﬂexibility throughout the day

• Plan for free playtimes with options for

movement, as well as group times that keep

children up and active

• Captivate children in physical activity by using

songs and dances that are familiar to them

• Promote language and literacy development along

with physical activity. For example, read a story

that is based on a song such as Five Little Ducks

or Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, and

encourage the children to act out the motions

with you

• Model activities and describe your movements

so children can copy the movements you make

• Use words to describe your movements, for

example say “shake your hands” and “twist

your body back and forth”

t o d d l e r s

D A I L Y R O U T I N E S

• Lead toddlers in active, simple transitions. For

example, on Monday, instruct children to hop like

bunnies from one space to another; on Tuesday,

have them waddle like ducks, etc.

Don’t worry if some children participate more

actively than others. It is all right for toddlers

to roam and explore on their own.

• 33 •

a c t i v i t y i d e a s

Cooperative Musical Hoops

This has the same basic rules as the traditional game of musical chairs, except

no one is ever “out.” Spread hula-hoops on the ﬂoor (if you do not have hula-

hoops, make rings out of yarn or ribbon). You should have one less hula hoop

than number of children. Play fun music as children move from hoop to hoop.

When the music stops, all players must get inside a hoop, so that no players are

eliminated. Remove one hoop each round. As you remove the hoops, let the

group know that no one is out. Part of the fun is seeing how many players can

ﬁt into one hoop. The game is over when everyone is in the last remaining hoop.

Active Cleanup!

Make cleanup times more exciting and fun for both you and your toddlers. Each

day, focus on a different traveling skill, such as walking fast, hopping, or jumping.

When it is time to clean up, ask your toddlers to use these traveling skills as they

put away materials. Add sensory experiences by playing music or letting children

ring a bell when they put an item away. Be sure to model your expectations for

cleanup, too!

Equipment: A classroom that has been in use

Time Frame: Until cleanup is ﬁnished

Adaptations: Use different elements for sensory experiences, such as

dimming lights

• 34 •

Best practices say preschool-age children

need 120 minutes of physical activity each day,

including at least 60 minutes of teacher-led

physical activity. To achieve this standard, look

at your current schedule and use your imagi-

nation to add physical activity wherever you

can. Ideas include:

• To create opportunities for teacher-led

activities, sneak physical activity into group

times (both small and large), as well as

transition times

• Make music and movement interest areas

available during free-choice time. Play music

that guides children in movement and dancing

• Preschoolers also can engage in child-

initiated active play outdoors. Provide

a variety of materials outdoors to foster

development of traveling skills (running,

jumping, climbing), manipulative skills

(throwing, kicking) and balancing skills

p r e s c h o o l e r s

q u i c k t i p

Try a few teacher-led physical activities

at the end of outdoor play as a way to

make transitions smoother.

a c t i v i t y i d e a

A Wild Rumpus

Read the book Where the Wild Things Are by

Maurice Sendak. After reading it, invite the

children to join you in dancing the Wild Rumpus!

Equipment: The book Where the Wild

Things Are

Time Frame: 15 minutes

• Try an active story time where children act

out a book as you read, or practice their

recall skills by recreating the storyline later.

(See Books To Move To: Physical Activity

and Literacy, Appendix G)

• Activity and math go hand in hand. Children

can learn numbers, shapes, directions and

patterns through movement

• Science covers health and the human body.

As you teach children how movement helps

their heart, muscles and bones, they learn

foundations of science

• For group times, consider activities such as

jumping out the date. If it is the 20th of the

month, have children jump 20 times. Mix it

up by encouraging the children to jump on

one foot or two feet, or to take little jumps

or big jumps

Working with a group of children of various

ages and developmental stages requires

great ﬂexibility when planning schedules and

lessons. You also will see differing physical

activity and gross motor development needs.

Here are some ideas for incorporating physical

activity into your daily routines:

• Focus on one general category of skills

and then think about how each child in

your care is currently developing that skill.

For example, create a relay race focused

on traveling skills. Instead of breaking into

teams, have all the children participate on

the same team. Call out which develop-

mentally appropriate traveling skills each

child will use to begin his/her portion of the

relay (e.g. preschool-age children can skip;

toddlers can run)

• Keep activity cards on a ring, or have a pair

of dice with illustrations of physical activity

that quickly can be referenced when a new

idea is needed. These tools may help with

time management because they enable

older children to help lead activities

• Throw a dance party! Children

of all ages can be active on

their own when there is music

multi-age groups

D A I L Y R O U T I N E S

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Group Shapes

Encourage children to work together as

a group and to act individually to form

different shapes and objects out of their

bodies. You can create shapes, such as

circles, triangles and rectangles, or letters,

such as “C” and “Y,” or even objects, such

as tables or chairs. Older children can help

younger children. Hold infants while you

lead this activity so they can watch.

Equipment: Ideas of objects to create

Time Frame: 5 to 10 minutes or until

interest is lost

Adaptations: Keep modeling how to make

your body look like the different shapes

– From Healthy Movement & Active Play

“ We start our day with

the bingo animal cards.

I cut them up and put them

in a bucket. They take turns

drawing a card and acting

it out. It’s part of our ‘get

the day started routine.’ ”

– Nancy Storkel,

Learning Ladder Daycare,

Tomah

q u i c k t i p

Use movement activities that actively

involve all children, rather than

activities in which some children just

wait and watch. For example, modify

games so no child is ever “out.”

D A I L Y R O U T I N E S

“Gross and ﬁne motor activities

s build skills that children continue

to expand upon. Movement can

easily be incorporated into activities

ranging from math to literacy to

science and beyond.”

– Jill Bodwin, CESA 7 Headstart,

Manitowoc

• 35 •

The best approach to inclusion and daily

routines is to honor each child as an

individual. If a child has an Individualized

Education Plan (IEP) or an Individualized

Family Service Plan (IFSP), use this as a guide

for thinking about scheduling, transitions and

lesson plans as they relate to physical activity.

These plans provide expertise and valuable

guidance from each child’s parents and can

inform your physical activity daily routines.

Be mindful of time as you create schedules

or lesson plans. Children with developmen-

tal delays or disabilities may need more

time to complete tasks or they may need

a shorter period of time to ensure they are

not stressed or overwhelmed by the activity.

Alternatively, children may need more breaks

to rest. Think about the pace at which the ac-

tivity is moving, and do not be afraid to slow

things down or speed things up accordingly.

Build in ﬂexibility when planning and imple-

menting your lessons. Modify rules to games,

prepare extra cues or prompts for children

and ensure you have adaptive equipment for

the activity. For example, a child with a hear-

ing deﬁcit may beneﬁt from being strategi-

cally placed across from you in order to see

your lips move and watch you model activi-

ties, or by being next to you to hear instruc-

tions better. Remember that there is variation

in developmental delays and disabilities.

Not every child with a hearing deﬁcit

or every child with autism will react the

same way to an activity. Make sure you

know the children in your care and

customize activities accordingly.

i n c l u s i o n

“ I think that no matter what age they

are or what kind of disability they

may have, there is always some kind

of physical activity they can do, so I

encourage them to at least try and

if they think it’s too hard, then they

can try something else.”

– Maichao Lor, MC Care, Wausau

)

• 36 •

c u l t u r a l c o m p e t e n c y

Just as your child care program has daily routines,

children have daily routines at home, too. What

children do at home carries over into your child care

program and what you do carries over into their

home lives. It is important to remember that

different values guide families’ daily routines. For

example, one family might prioritize eating dinner

together every night while another prioritizes

community involvement in the evenings.

An understanding of daily home routines will help

you understand how a child reacts to the daily

routines in your early care and education program.

Talk to parents about each child’s life at home. Be

open and respectful, and honor each family’s values

and priorities, as these are reﬂections of their culture.

Eating, sleeping and physical activity patterns at

home inﬂuence how active a child will be in your

program. And a child’s activity in your program will

affect eating and sleeping overall. Communicate

frequently with parents about the amount of physical

activity their child is getting in your care and discuss

the beneﬁts of physical activity for their child. Ask

parents “how” and “what” questions to encourage

them to talk about their children’s physical activity

both at home and in care.

t o o l s i n c l u d e d

1. Full Day Sample Schedule: Group Child Care,

Family Child Care, and Infants and Toddlers.

This sample schedule provides an outline for how

to demonstrate that children are physically active

throughout the day. (Appendices E and F)

2. Books to Move to: Physical Activity and Literacy.

Physical activity ﬁts well with the school readiness

goals of early care and education. One way to do

this is to make story-times become active. Here is

a list of books that can get kids moving as they are

learning to read. (Appendix G)

e n g a g i n g f a m i l i e s

Plan weekly walks for families in your program.

Designate a deﬁned route. On the walk, try some

of the games used for transitions during the day so

parents can experience and enjoy them. Consider

bringing pets for the walk, too. Make sure you bring

plenty of water!

c o m m u n i t i e s

Encourage your community to provide safe routes,

such as sidewalks and bike trails, near child care

centers so families and staff can walk or bike

safely to your program!

“This month we encouraged

family scavenger hunts:

Start by making a list of

common things found

in your neighborhood,

like the blue house or

the tall oak tree. Then

walk around your

neighborhood with your

child and search for the

items on your list which

can lead you to a fun

destination, like the park!”

– Jill Bodwin,

CESA 7 HeadStart,

Manitowoc

q u i c k t i p

Think about culture and gender roles. There

are overall societal norms that in many ways

encourage physical activity in boys but not

girls. However, we know girls need just as

much physical activity as boys to be healthy.

“ We get all the children together, 3 and

up, and have a baseball game every

Tuesday in the summer at the park

across the street from our center.”

– Karen Verhagen, Kinder Haus, Kaukauna

)

D A I L Y R O U T I N E S

• 37 •

ENVIRONMENT

Your classroom or home environment sets the

stage for physical activity. You can encourage

children to be more active by making times for

physical activity visible on the schedule in a way

that children know when to expect their next

break. You can set out new and exciting active

materials each week to keep children engaged

and encourage them to select active options

during their free-choice time. Additionally,

you can create an active culture in your early

care and education space by using everyday

materials that promote physical activity, such

as posters of active kids and books about

physical activity in your reading area.

Children learn by exploring and children of all

ages need time to be physically active both

indoors and outdoors. Creating supportive

indoor and outdoor environments will promote

physical activity and greatly inﬂuence gross

motor outcomes for children. Think about your

classrooms, play spaces and outdoor areas, and

where you can encourage more physical activity.

Structure activities and environments so

children of all ages can actively explore, learn

and practice gross motor skills.

Child-Provider Interactions and

Your Role as a Provider

• Familiarize yourself with developmentally-

appropriate practices and the sequence

of physical and motor development. Also,

know which resources are available to you

and seek out new resources

• Model and participate in physical activity,

and dress to be active

• Observe and record children’s development

so you can help them expand their skill sets

• Set the pace for activity so all children in

your program are included

• Understand that movement and physical

activity overlap with social-emotional

development. Your interactions with children

regarding their physical and gross motor

development will have an impact on other

areas of their development

o v e r v i e w

“ Anything we introduce with enthusiasm and fun always excites

the children. There is the occasional child who says they do not

want to participate, but they always join in eventually.”

– Maggie Smith, R.E.A.L. K.I.D.S, Menominee

• 38 •

special considerations for

family child care providers

If you are a family child care provider, your physical

activity environment will depend on whether your

living space is used for child care or if you use a

separate space for your program.

Indoors. If you care for children in your home, think

about arranging furniture to deﬁne spaces, and

identify an area for music and movement. There

should be plenty of space for children to jump,

skip, gallop, use push-and-pull toys, and throw soft

objects. Think about how opportunities for physical

activity occur naturally in your home, such as stairs

for climbing, hallway spaces that can be used as

“bowling alleys” and even chairs and couches that

serve as support for children learning to stand and

walk. Consider using portable equipment so you can

rotate materials as the children’s interests, abilities

and developmental stages evolve. Use tubs and

shelving to store materials so your home can serve as a

supportive environment for children’s physical develop-

ment as well as a home for you and your own family.

Outdoors. Children need opportunities to explore

nature, so consider landscaping that includes trees

for shade, large rocks for climbing, hills for rolling

down and climbing up, and gardens for digging

and planting. Accompany these natural features

with developmentally appropriate equipment, such

as slides and swings, as well as push-pull toys and

tricycles. This will present children with a variety of

experiences in traveling skills, balancing skills and

manipulating skills.

considerations for all ages

Here are some tips for setting up active indoor

and outdoor spaces:

• Your space should be safe, clean, neat and

clutter free

• Arrange your space so that it is easy for you to

supervise all children. This way you will know

if children are being active and if you need to

encourage more movement

• Create a space that purposefully promotes

physical activity. Set aside plenty of space to

practice large muscle skills

• Provide free access to physical activity and

movement materials. This will encourage

children to initiate their own physical activity

• Set clear expectations for behavior. Model

appropriate behaviors so children understand

how to act and know how to use available

materials and equipment

• Some materials and equipment will be more

popular with children than others, so have more

than one available. Store these items where

children can gain access to them

Indoor Space

• Provide clear trafﬁc patterns. Set up furniture

in certain ways, or place footprints on the ﬂoor

to demonstrate where to walk

• Choose developmentally appropriate materials

to set out in your room. If children seem uninter-

ested in a material, it may be too challenging

or not challenging enough. Don’t be afraid to

try something else

• Hang up posters of diverse, active families,

and keep books in your reading area that show

children dancing, moving and playing games

• Make sure lighting is sufﬁcient for children to see

and that materials absorb sound to limit noise levels

Outdoor Space

• Make sure that there is lots of variation in

the materials and equipment available outside.

For example, make sure there are different

types of surfaces, such as a paved bike path,

a cushioned surface beneath climbing areas,

and grassy spaces for running

• Provide both portable and ﬁxed materials.

For example, stationary and movable tunnels.

This will encourage children to practice a

variety of gross motor skills

• Ensure access to plenty of natural materials.

For example, have rocks to climb on, hills to

rolldown, and a garden to tend

• Ensure access to drinking water

• Provide a shaded or covered area to protect

children from the sun, rain or snow

E N V I R O N M E N T

• 39 •

q u i c k t i p

Go outside in the winter or even in light rain!

Fresh air—even in winter—beneﬁts children.

Licensing rules in Wisconsin deﬁne “inclement

weather” as stormy or severe weather,

including any of the following elements:

(a) Heavy rain

(b) Temperatures above 90 degrees

Fahrenheit

below for children age 2 and above

(d) Wind chills of 20 degrees Fahrenheit

or below for children under age 2

• 40 •

Provide space for infants who are mobile and

younger infants who are not yet mobile. This

provides a safe space for all infants to explore

their environments in their own ways.

• Infants who are not yet walking should have

space and time to move their arms and legs

freely while awake

• Infants crawling and walking should have

enough space and supports (e.g. furniture)

to help them pull themselves up and balance

• Outﬁt your outdoor space with appropriately-

scaled equipment, including equipment

infants can use for support and push-pull toys

for walking infants

• Provide a variety of surfaces for all infants

to explore

• The outdoor environment should encourage

infants to guide their own active exploration

• During tummy time, place attractive

materials just out of reach to encourage

young infants to practice reaching

• Structure more exploratory activities as

infants grow, such as climbing in and out

of low cardboard boxes or rolling beach

balls for batting and kicking

• Have one-on-one time with all infants to

encourage gross motor skills. Be sure

the environment provides infants with

opportunities to repeatedly practice their

developing skills

i n f a n t s

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Tunneling to Toys

Set up a collapsible tunnel or create your own using

a large cardboard box open on both ends with the ﬂaps

taped out of the way. Position an infant who is practicing

and close to mastering crawling at one end of the tunnel.

Place a favorite toy at the other end and wait there,

providing encouragement all the way!

Equipment: Child’s favorite toy, a collapsible tunnel

(or cardboard box)

Time Frame: 5 to 10 minutes or until

interest is lost

Adaptations: Try adjusting the length

of the tunnel

• 41 •

E N V I R O N M E N T

q u i c k t i p

To ensure children get enough physical

activity in the winter months, make getting

dressed to go outdoors part of the physi-

cal activity. Sing songs or do stretches

between putting on mittens. Get creative!

t o d d l e r s

Make your indoor space for toddlers an

area they want to actively explore. Bring

materials into the space that promote

gross motor skills while providing a

variety of sensory experiences.

• Provide plenty of room for toddlers to

practice their emerging traveling skills.

A small climber with a wooden slide

and stairs or a sit-and-spin make great

additions to your indoor space. Not

only does this equipment encourage

exploration, but you can easily

disinfect the nonporous surfaces

• Bring in balls that are of different textures,

sizes, weights and colors. Balls, bean bags

and scarves will encourage toddlers to

practice skills such as throwing and tossing

• Introduce movement into other areas

of your classroom by bringing in natural

objects, such as pinecones and leaves, for

your sensory table. You can link these

objects to the outdoors by taking

an afternoon hike through the

neighborhood or to a nearby park

• Provide time for toddlers to

actively explore the outdoor

environment on their own

• Make sure there are a variety of

surfaces for practicing different gross

motor skills. Locate a solid surface for

push-and-pull toys and a grassy area

for running and hopping

• Provide plenty of size-appropriate

materials and promote various gross

motor skills, such as low-riding toys

that toddlers can push with their feet

and climbers that are not too high

• Store materials in a low space easily

accessible to toddlers

• If you share an outdoor space with

other age groups, try to secure some

time for toddlers to explore on their

own

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Hop and Jump like Betsy

Read the book Hop, Jump by Ellen Walsh. The

children jump forward in a variety of ways (short,

quick jumps, long jumps and high jumps). Next,

the children hop using one foot, then the other.

Next, the children leap. Finally, the children do

all of these movements in any order they choose!

Materials: The book Hop, Jump

Time Frame: 10 to 15 minutes

Adaptations: Switch up the order. Adjust the

amount of space for children

“One of my teachers came to me this week to

tell me how wonderful the new climber is in her

classroom. She told me that in the two weeks

it has been in use, she has noticed a drastic

difference in the amount of time she spends on

redirecting her 2 ½-year-old children. She said

they are all much calmer now that they have

a designed active area in her classroom.”

– Nancy Karn, Kids Depot, Madison

)

• 42 •

p r e s c h o o l e r s

Preschool-age children need time indoors

and outdoors for gross motor play. The

environment of each of the spaces will

inﬂuence gross motor outcomes. Take time

to plan your environments so they incorpo-

rate physical activity and gross motor skills

in every way possible.

• Consider art projects that encourage

children to draw while kneeling on

the ground. It will help them develop

their low-level balancing skills on

hands and knees

• Add books about physical activity to your

reading library. Read books together and give

children the opportunity to act out the story

• Bring physical activity to life in the dramatic

play area

• Give children options to pretend they are

athletes, yoga teachers or ﬁctional characters

• Create a music and movement interest area.

Locate the area close to an electrical outlet

so music can be played. Provide instruments

that make more music with more movement,

such as tambourines and maracas

• Place pictures and names of materials on

shelves to show children where materials

belong

• Provide a variety of equipment outdoors

to promote traveling skills, balancing skills

and manipulative skills. Incorporate both

natural and structural elements to give

children a variety of experiences in

learning gross motor skills

• Engage children in teacher-led activities

indoors and outdoors, and plan challenging

games and activities

• Join in activity as much as possible to

model skills, such as shooting a basketball

or running backward

“ Children who did not have the

conﬁdence to participate in physical

outdoor play enjoy the active indoor

centers. The limited number of children

and open-ended activities build their

conﬁdence, their strength, their activity

levels. Teachers have noticed that children

are more focused during group time and

less classroom management seems to be

needed. Indoor active centers allow

children to release some of their

energy in a positive manner.”

a c t i v i t y i d e a

Balance Low, Balance High

As a group, explore balancing at both high

and low levels. Challenge each other to

balance as steadily as possible for as long as

possible. High-level positions include stand-

ing on tiptoe, on one ﬂat foot; on tiptoes

with both feet and knees bent; on tiptoes

with eyes closed; and on one foot on tip-

toes. Low-level positions include balancing

on two hands and one knee, one hand and

two knees, one hand and one knee,

bottom only, knees only and one knee only.

Equipment: Ideas for balancing!

Time Frame: 5 to 10 minutes

Adaptations: Offer the different variations

to challenge children but also make the

activity fun for everyone

– From Healthy Movement & Active Play

q u i c k t i p

How active you can make your dramatic

play area? Provide materials for children

to be active in their imaginative play.

For example, they could pretend to be

an aerobics or yoga teacher or act out

a story such as the Three Little Pigs.

– Linda Groom, Hudson Community

Children’s Center, Hudson

E N V I R O N M E N T

families. Make sure materials such as books and

posters represent all children in your care.

How can you show honor and respect for your

children’s cultural backgrounds? Invite parents to

lead physical activities and encourage children to

share physical activity materials and books from

their homes. This also will help children develop

an awareness of diverse cultures while learning

new and exciting activities.

e n g a g i n g f a m i l i e s

Take time to communicate how the home or

classroom has been structured to promote physical

activity. Relate these changes to ways parents could

change their home environments to promote physi-

cal activity. It can be done in a newsletter, at a parent

conference or even during daily drop-

offs and pick-ups.

e n g a g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

Encourage your community to build neighborhood

playgrounds to increase access for families. Look at the

tools and resources provided by Kaboom!, an organi-

zation with a mission to create great play spaces within

walking distance of every child in America through the

participation and leadership of communities.

m u l t i - a g e g r o u p s

Supportive indoor and outdoor environments

for multi-age groups should accommodate

children of different physical abilities. Promote

positive interactions between children of all

ages so they continue to learn from one another.

Join children in physical activity whenever possible.

i n c l u s i o n

To ensure that learning experiences are rich

and beneﬁcial to all children, including those

with developmental disabilities, you may need

to adapt the environment to suit individual

needs. If a child has an Individualized Education

Plan (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan

(IFSP), use it as a helpful tool in making

meaningful adaptations.

Carefully assess your environment through the

eyes of each child in your class, including those

with developmental disabilities. Position yourself

at the children’s height and carefully examine

every feature of your

environment. This will

help you understand

how to adapt

your environment.

quick tip

Try pulling the plug on your home televi-

sion and computer! Over time, observe the

changes you see in children’s behaviors!

• 43 •

ADAPTING

EQUIPMENT

• Provide a variety of balls,

including different sizes,

weights and textures

• Use Velcro to adapt

materials so they are

easier to handle

• Have scoops or EZ

catches available

• Use larger equipment, such

as bigger bean bags, or a

wider balance beam or board

For example, make sure materials and equipment

are within reach of all children. Place heavier

objects lower to the ground and place lighter

physical activity materials, such as scarves or bean

bags, on higher shelves.

Think about how space is deﬁned. Is there enough

room for all children? If a child uses a walker or

wheelchair, can the same trafﬁc patterns in the

classrooms be used as other children? Are the

boundaries of the space clearly deﬁned? If not, use

tape or ﬁxed features in the room to create a well-

deﬁned space for movement and physical activity.

Remove obstacles both large and small.

Ensure that equipment and materials can be used

by all children in your care. If you notice that a child

is having trouble using a ball, think of ways to make

it easier. Try textured balls. Try balls of different sizes

or weights. Let children master rolling, throwing and

catching with equipment that is easier to use and

can help the child be successful.

Child-provider interactions are just as important

for children with special needs. Take the time to

make sure activities are understood and are

accessible. This may mean positioning yourself

so that a child can see your lips moving while

you speak or that you close enough to help

support their movement. This will create

positive association with physical activity.

c u l tu r al c om p et en c y

Creating accessible environments for the children

in your care means considering their culture when

selecting materials and equipment. Include games

and activities that children play at home with their

• 44 •

Resources are essential in promoting physical

activity. There are never too many ideas for

engaging young children in active learning.

These resources may range from physical

activity curricula to books and CDs to hands-on

physical activity equipment and materials. As

you research and review the different resources

available, you will ﬁnd a wide range in quality

and quantity. Here are a few things to keep in

mind as you select resources.

Physical Activity Curriculum

A movement education and physical activity

curriculum will emphasize meaningful content,

which includes:

• Instruction in a variety of motor skills

designed to enhance child development

• Fitness education and assessment that

promotes an understanding of physical

well-being

• Development of cognitive concepts related

to motor skills and physical activity

• Opportunities to improve social and

cooperative skills

• Opportunities to increase the value placed

on physical activity for health, enjoyment,

self-expression and conﬁdence

• Sequencing to ensure that motor skills,

physical activity and assessments are

appropriate for age and developmental

stage, with basic skills leading to more

advanced skills; and that appropriately

monitors, reinforces and plans for

children’s learning

Physical activity curriculum should cover the

essential elements of physical development

and activity. Will the curriculum:

• Match the philosophy, mission and policy

statements you have in place

• Support the inclusion of all children,

including ages, skill sets, developmental

stages and cultural backgrounds

• Align with the Wisconsin Model Early

Learning Standards

• Involve parents

• Provide speciﬁc instructions on how to

implement the curriculum

o v e r v i e w

RESOURCES

D A I L Y R O U T I N E S

Equipment and Materials

When searching for physical activity equipment and materials, you will

want to test each item against a few standards. Use the following to chart

to help you think about what to get out of your equipment and materials.

Equipment

• What kind of space is required?

o size of play area

o indoor needs

o outdoor needs

• Is the equipment portable or ﬁxed?

• Is the equipment manmade or

does it occur in the natural

environment?

• How many children does the

equipment support?

• What age range is recommended?

• Does the equipment support

the skill sets that children are

developing?

• Is the equipment safe?

• Does equipment follow licensing

regulations?

• Does equipment follow quality

improvement recommendations?

• Is the equipment inclusive?

• Is the equipment culturally

competent?

R E S O U R C E S

Materials

• Do the materials ﬁt with your

program philosophy?

• Are the materials developmentally

appropriate?

• Do the materials support the skill

sets that children are developing?

• Are materials manmade or do they

occur in the natural environment?

• Are the materials evidence based?

• Does the child or the teacher make

the materials?

• Are materials safe?

• Do materials support individual child

outcomes?

• Are the materials sustainable?

• Are the materials culturally

competent?

• Are the materials inclusive?

Suppliers

• Community Playthings

• Constructive Playthings

• Discount School Supply

• Early Childhood Manufacturers Direct

• Education Station

• Environments, Inc.

• Kaplan

• Lakeshore Learning

• Play with a Purpose

• School Specialty

Publishers

• Brookes Publishing

• Gryphon House

• Highscope Press

• Human Kinetics

• PE Central

• Redleaf Press

Where can you ﬁnd Physical Activity Equipment and Materials?

There are plenty of options. When you prepare to invest in physical activity,

take time to compare prices, quality and features of equipment, materials

and resources. Here are some suppliers and publishers to start with:

• 45 •

• 46 •

i n c l u s i o n

Here are a few questions to ask when

determining whether a resource is inclusive:

1. Is inclusive and child-focused language

evident and are specific examples

regarding individual outcomes included

in the resource?

2. Does the resource include visuals and

examples that include children with

varying abilities?

3. Does the resource have suggestions for

modiﬁcations and adaptations for varying

levels of ability?

4. Does the resource include tips for lead-

ing activities in ways that embrace various

learning styles?

5. If the resource suggests or requires equip-

ment, does it provide examples of adaptive

equipment or ideas to modify equipment?

c u l t u r a l c o m p e t e n c y

Here are a few questions to ask when

determining whether a resource is culturally

competent:

1. Does the resource include visuals and

examples that include children of diverse

backgrounds?

2. Is the resource linguistically appropriate,

for example is it available in various

languages and does it address the

linguistic needs of children and families?

3. Does the resource provide music and

movement activity ideas that are inclusive

of various cultures? This would include

songs, instruments and dances that are

culturally diverse?

4. Do examples of imaginative games and

activities allow children deﬁne their own

roles according to their culture, rather

than using stereotypical roles?

5. Does the resources provide suggestions

for culturally appropriate props and

materials? For example, if using a hot

potato is not culturally appropriate

because there is a norm that food should

never be used in play, does the resource

give an alternative?

t o o l s i n c l u d e d

1. Homemade Physical Activity Materials.

This tool provides instructions for creating

homemade materials that promote physi-

cal activity in your early care and education

program. (Appendix H)

2. Physical Activity Materials & Equipment

Ideas. This list of materials and equipment

will help you provide children with

opportunities to develop a variety of

gross motor skills. (Appendix I)

e n g a g i n g f a m i l i e s

Create take-home physical activity kits for

families. Kits can include fact sheets and

activity ideas for parents, as well as resources

to be active at home!

e n g a g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

Ask your local library to be supportive of

active lifestyles for young children through

active story times or by devoting sections

of the library to physical development and

activity for young children.

To minimize costs, think about

the different ways to access

resources, such as Wisconsin’s

Child Care Information Center

(CCIC) and your local libraries.

Libraries often have inter-

library loan arrangements that

can help you ﬁnd and check

out materials your local library

may not have on hand.

q u i c k t i p

R E S O U R C E S

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESOURCES FOR EARLY CARE & EDUCATION

Curriculum & Books

AGE GROUP TOPIC OTHER

Infants

Toddlers

Preschoolers

School-Age

Multi-Age Groups

Obesity Prevention

PA Best Practices & Beneﬁts

Development

Assessment

Daily Routines

Environment

Business Practices

Cultural Competency

Inclusion

Family Engagement

Community Engagement

Activity Examples

Cost (reﬂect lowest cost

available new or used)

CURRICULUM

CATCH Early Childhood Kit

X X X X X X X X X $$$$$

Color Me Healthy

X X X X $$$

Healthy Habits for Life

X X X X X X X $

Healthy Movement Active Play

X X X X X X FREE

I Am Moving, I Am Learning

X X X X X X X X X X X X X $$$$

SPARK Early Childhood Curriculum Manual

X X X $$$$

BOOKS

Active Learning Series

X X X X X $$

Active Start for Healthy Kids

X X X X X X X X X X $

All About the ECERS-R

X X X X X X $$

All About the ITERS-R

X X X X X X X $$

Big Body Play

X X X X X X X X X X $

Designing Preschool Movement Programs

X X X X $$

Dr. Craft’s Active Play!

X X X X X X X X X X $$

Focused Observations

X X X X X X X $$

Focused Portfolios

X X X X X X X X $$

Inclusive Games

X X $

Let’s Go Outside: Designing the Early Childhood Playground

X X X X $

Movement Activities for Early Childhood

X X X X $

Movement in Steady Beat

X X $

Moving and Learning Across the Curriculum

X X $

Moving and Learning Series

X X X X X $$

Moving with a Purpose: Developing Programs for Preschoolers of All Abilities

X X X X X X X X $$

Natural Playscapes

X $$$

Purposeful Play: Early Childhood Movement Activities on a Budget

X X X X $

Six Simple Ways to Assess Young Children

X X X X X X X X $$

The Creative Curriculum®

X X X X X X X X X X X X $$$$

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards

X X X X X X X X X $

$ = $25 or less $$ = $25 to $49 $$$ = $50 to $99 $$$$ = $100 to $249 $$$$$ = $250+

Check with your local public library of the Child Care Information Center (CCIC) to ﬁnd resources for loan.

• 47 •

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESOURCES FOR EARLY CARE & EDUCATION

Articles & Websites

AGE GROUP TOPIC OTHER

Infants

Toddlers

Preschoolers

School-Age

Multi-Age Groups

Obesity Prevention

PA Best Practices & Beneﬁts

Development

Assessment

Daily Routines

Environment

Business Practices

Cultural Competency

Inclusion

Family Engagement

Community Engagement

Activity Examples

Cost (reﬂect lowest cost

available new or used)

ARTICLES

Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines

for Children from Birth to Age 5

X X X X X X X X $

Alignment of the Wisconsin Model Early Learning

Standards with HighScope’s Preschool Child Observation

Record (COR), 2nd Edition

X X X X X FREE

Alignment of the Wisconsin Model Early Learning

Standards, 2nd edition with the Content and Objectives

of The Creative Curriculum(R) System

X X X X X X X FREE

Best Practices for Physical Activity: A Guide to Help

Children Grow Up Healthy

X X X X X X X X FREE

Cultural Diversity and Play

X X X X FREE

How we play – Cultural determinants of play

X X X X X X X X FREE

Preventing Childhood Obesity in Early Care and

Education Programs

X X X X FREE

SEARCH FOR THESE TOPICS ON THE WEB

Choosy Kids

X X X X X X X X X X FREE

Early Childhood Development: A Multicultural Perspective

X X X X X X FREE

Family Education

X X X X X X X X FREE

Head Start Body Start Toolbox

X X X X X X X X FREE

Keystone Kids Go Active!

X X FREE

Let’s Move! Child Care

X X X X X X X X X X X X X FREE

National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning, Early

Childhood Knowledge and Learning Center

X X X X X X X X X X X FREE

National Network for Child Care

X X X X X X X X FREE

PE Central

X X X X X FREE

Physical Activity For Everyone

X X X X FREE

Physical Activity Space & Equipment Checklist

X X X X X X X X FREE

• 48 •

$ = $25 or less $$ = $25 to $49 $$$ = $50 to $99 $$$$ = $100 to $249 $$$$$ = $250+

Check with your local public library of the Child Care Information Center (CCIC) to ﬁnd resources for loan.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESOURCES FOR EARLY CARE & EDUCATION

Websites (continued),

Assessment Tools

& Materials

AGE GROUP TOPIC OTHER

Infants

Toddlers

Preschoolers

School-Age

Multi-Age Groups

Obesity Prevention

PA Best Practices & Beneﬁts

Development

Assessment

Daily Routines

Environment

Business Practices

Cultural Competency

Inclusion

Family Engagement

Community Engagement

Activity Examples

Cost (reﬂect lowest cost

available new or used)

Play Hard Your Way

X X X FREE

Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children

X X X FREE

Tips for Raising Heart Healthy, Active Children

X X X X X X X X X FREE

99 Tips for Family Fitness Fun

X X X X FREE

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Environment Rating Scales (ECERS-R, ITERS-R,

FCCERS-R, SACERS-R)

X X X X X X X X X $

HighScope-COR

X X X X X X $$$$

Model Work Standards

X X X $

Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for

Child Care (NAP SACC)

X X X X X X X X X FREE

Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement

Scale (POEMS)

X X X X X X X X $

Teaching Strategies GOLD™

X X X X X $$$$

The Portage Project

X X X X X $$$$

Wisconsin Department of Health Services Worksite

Wellness Resource Kit

X X X FREE

MATERIALS

Be Choosy, Be Healthy™ Activity Kit

X X X X X X $$$$$

All Time Favorite Dances

X X X X X X X $

Bean Bag Activities and Coordination Skills

X X X X X X $

Dr. Jean Feldman

X X X X X X X $

Greg and Steve

X X X X X X X $

Kimbo Educational Music and Movement CDs and

DVDs for Children

X X X X X X X $

The Learning Station

X X X X X X X $

R E S O U R C E S

• 49 •

$ = $25 or less $$ = $25 to $49 $$$ = $50 to $99 $$$$ = $100 to $249 $$$$$ = $250+

Check with your local public library of the Child Care Information Center (CCIC) to ﬁnd resources for loan.

o v e r v i e w

Business Practices are essential for success in

promoting physical activity in early care and

education settings. Program policies and worksite

wellness express a program’s commitment to

physical activity and its overarching values and culture.

If managed well, physical activity practices can result

in a healthier environment for children in care and

may improve children’s physical activity behaviors.

w h a t i s a p o l i c y ?

A policy is a rule to guide and determine

decisions. Every early care and education

(ECE) program should prepare its own

set of physical activity policies with

input from parents and staff.

Policies can help to:

• Create consistent messages

for staff, parents and licensing

ofﬁcials explaining and reinforcing

physical activity habits

• Provide clear guidelines for

staff members and families

• Provide a basis for evalua-

tion of your program and

identify areas that may

need improvement

• Educate new staff and

parents on current

nutrition and physical

activity practices

• Guide decisions and

choices your program

makes every day

BUSINESS PRACTICES

• 50 •

• Communicate the program’s beneﬁts to

potential families

• Prevent problems and provide solutions

Policies may be included in:

• Parent handbook

• Personnel handbook or Standard Operating

Procedures

• Fliers or newsletters

• Displayed around the center

Talk to staff and parents when developing

policies. This important step assures that those

involved understand their role and are prepared

to put the policies into action. Make sure parents

are aware of your physical activity policies when

enrolling their children in your facility. Continually

review your policies to provide ongoing quality care.

p o l i c y d e v e l o p m e n t

1. Look at your program’s current policies and

identify areas in need of improvement.

2. Refer to the physical activity recommendations

and sample policies in this guide

3. Consult with those affected by the policy

(staff members, parents) by conducting

surveys, questionnaires, or by hosting

meetings or discussions

4. Write the policies and have another staff

member or parent review them

5. Set dates for when the policies will be

implemented

6. Determine how staff members and parents

will be made aware of the new policies

(letter to staff/parents, revised handbook

pages, newsletter article, meetings, etc.)

B U S I N E S S P R A C T I C E S

7. Train staff and/or parents on new policies

8. Assess effectiveness of policy

a. Decide how you will know if the policy

is effective

b. Periodically review and re-evaluate

What to include in a physical activity policy

• A statement describing what is covered in

the policy

• Goals or purpose of the policy

• Reasons for the policy

The policies in this guide are intended to be

examples of what may be used in your program.

They may be used as they are written or you may

make changes to meet the needs of your program.

t y p e s o f p o l i c i e s

A program that chooses to make physical

activity a priority should include evidence-

based policies and personnel practices. You

will ﬁnd general concepts related to physical

activity in program and personnel policies below.

For more speciﬁc examples, see the speciﬁc

age groups and the Sample Policies Tool.

Program Policies for your Parent Handbook:

A. Education

o Set a daily amount of time for active play

o Set a required number of times children

play outdoors each day

o Limit the amount of screen time

o Add policies that demonstrate how the child

care environment supports physical activity

o Add policies that demonstrate how staff

support physical activity

“Parents are pleased with the

comments from their children

about exercising and ‘happy’

hearts. One mother said that

even though they try to be

active and eat healthy, Active

Early has had an influence that they

could not have done alone. Her son is

generalizing healthy habits by asking

about healthy foods and checking his

heart rate. Another mother said we

are helping to support the ground

work for a healthy adult lifestyle.”

q u i c k t i p

Policies set the stage for best practices.

But remember that a policy is only as

good as its implementation!

– Linda Groom,

Hudson Community

Children’s Center,

Hudson

• 51 •

B. Child guidance

o Add physical activity to child guidance

so that just as in meals, snacks and

naps, physical activity is not withheld

or forced for misbehavior

o Parent involvement

o Consider offering physical activity

education or events to involve parents

on a yearly basis, or more frequently

o Include gross motor development and

physical activity as a standard part of

daily communications with parents

Personnel Policies for your Employee

Handbook:

A. Dress code

o Ensure staff members wear clothing and

footwear that allow them to be active

with children

B. Continuing education

o Include physical development and

physical activity as a mandatory part

of staff continuing education hours

o Include policies that ensure the program

will provide staff with physical activity and

development training

C. Job responsibilities or duties

o Ensure staff members understand that

their job entails being physically active

with children and modeling gross motor

skills, as well as using developmentally-

appropriate language to talk about

physical development and physical activity

• 52 •

i n f a n t s

Policy Options for Infant Early Care & Education

• Provide supervised tummy time for all infants

several times each day

• Provide infants with opportunities to move

around within the classroom throughout the

day, excluding eating and sleeping times

• Provide outdoor active play for all infants for

at least 60 minutes each day, except in cases

of inclement weather

• Provide infants with opportunities for outdoor

exploration, including rolling, scooting,

crawling and walking

• Separate infant active playtime from older children

• Place infants in a bouncy seat, swing, or play

pen no more than 15 minutes at a time

• Do not allow any screen

time for infants

• Separate toddler outdoor active playtime

from older children

• Provide more than 60 minutes of outdoor

active playtime for all toddlers each day,

except in cases of inclement weather

• Do not keep toddlers seated for more

than 30 minutes at a time

• Do not allow screen time for toddlers

• Set aside indoor space for active play for

all toddlers

• Encourage toddlers to dance, clap and

move around

• Join in active play and make positive

statements about physical activity

during toddlers’ active (free) playtime

• Talk with toddlers about their activities

and name the movements

• Offer parents active play education that is

age-appropriate for their toddlers

• Give parents daily written updates on their

child’s gross motor skills and physical activity

Options for Personnel Policies and Job

Description Elements for Toddler Teachers

• Offer training opportunities on promoting

toddler movement at least twice a year

• Job responsibilities or duties include:

o Engaging toddlers in teacher-led activities,

modeling gross motor skills and structuring

opportunities for free active play

o Using and teaching positive language

regarding physical activity and movement.

• Engage infants to encourage development of

gross motor skills (reaching, sitting, standing,

crawling or walking)

• Talk with infants about their activities and

name the movements

• Offer parents active play education that is

age-appropriate for infants

• Give parents daily written updates on their

child’s gross motor skills and physical activity

Options for Personnel Policies & Job

Description Elements for Infant Teachers

• Offer training opportunities on promoting

infant movement at least twice a year

• Job responsibilities or duties include:

o Engaging infants in active playtime and

structuring opportunities for infants to

actively explore

o Using positive language about physical

activity and movement

t o d d l e r s

Policy Options for Toddler Early Care

and Education

• Provide at least 60 minutes of active (free)

playtime for all toddlers each day

p r e s c h o o l e r s

Policy Options for Preschooler Early Care

and Education

• Provide at least 120 minutes of daily active

playtime for all preschool-age children

• Provide teacher-led physical activity to all

preschool-age children at least twice a day

• Provide outdoor active playtime for all

preschool-age children at least twice a day

• Do not withhold active playtime as a punish-

ment for misbehavior

• Do not keep preschool-age children seated

for more than 30 minutes at a time, excluding

nap and meal times

• Limit screen time to 30 minutes per week for

preschool-age children. Any screen time should

be educational or promote physical activity.

(Screen time could be eliminated for this age

group, too!)

• Encourage preschool-age children to be active

during active free playtime and join children in

active play

• Support physical activity in preschool classrooms

by displaying posters, pictures and books

• Offer physical activity education through a

standardized curriculum at least once weekly

• Offer parents active play education that is

age-appropriate for preschoolers

• Give parents frequent updates on their child’s

gross motor skills and physical activity

Policy Options for Family Child Care or

Multi-Age Early Care and Education

• Engage all children in age-appropriate

amounts of active playtime each day

• Encourage the development of gross motor skills

by engaging and joining children in active play

• Provide at least 60 minutes of outdoor active

playtime for all children, except in cases of

inclement weather

• Make indoor space available for active play

for all children

• Do not allow screen time

• Use healthy language and teach children about

physical activity through program materials, such as

books, posters, toys and curricula, as appropriate

• Offer age-appropriate active play education

to parents

• Give parents frequent updates on each child’s gross

motor skills development and physical activity

Options for Personnel Policies & Job

Description Elements for Family Providers

or Teachers of Multi-age Groups

• Offer training opportunities on promoting

physical activity and movement for all ages

of children at least twice a year

• Job responsibilities or duties include:

o Engaging children of all ages in teacher-led

activities, modeling gross motor skills and

structuring opportunities for free active play

o Using and teaching positive language

regarding physical activity and movement

Options for Personnel Policies & Job

Description Elements for Preschool Teachers

• Offer training opportunities on promoting

preschool movement at least twice a year

• ob responsibilities or duties include:

• Engaging preschoolers in teacher-led

activities, modeling gross motor skills and

structuring opportunities for free active play

o Using and teaching positive language

regarding physical activity and movement

m u l t i - a g e g r o u p s

Review the program and personnel policies

for each of the age groups above. You will see

differences in policies that reﬂect best practic-

es for each age group. However, you will also

see many similarities that make it possible for

policies to ﬁt a multi-age group of children. It

may take some creativity in intertwining the

best practices for each age group, but here

are some examples to get you going:

B U S I N E S S P R A C T I C E S

• 53 •

• 54 •

staff & worksite wellness

What is Worksite Wellness?

Worksite wellness refers to education and

activities that a worksite uses to promote

healthy lifestyles to employees and their

families. Examples of wellness programming

include health education, subsidized ﬁtness

club memberships, internal policies geared

toward health promotion, and any other

activities or policy and environment changes

that beneﬁt health. For the purposes of

these Action Tools, we will focus on how to

promote physical activity as a primary part

of worksite wellness.

Why is it important?

Worksite wellness emphasizes the health

of employees. There are many beneﬁts:

• Controlled costs

• Increased productivity

• Reduced absenteeism

• Improved morale

• Enhanced image for the organization

1. Assess your worksite

Use the Worksite Assessment Checklist

and Worksite Wellness Survey to see

where your program stands and what

changes staff would like to see.

2. Consider your options

Use the Worksite Assessment Checklist

to look at all options for changes at the

individual level, the environmental or

organizational level and the policy level.

3. Develop your program

Use your assessments to choose realistic options that will be valued by staff. As you

choose options to promote wellness, think strategically about which options will

most beneﬁt staff and motivate all participants.

4. Sustain the program

Maintain staff interest and motivation

by keeping the program new and fresh,

setting goals, using teams or buddy

systems to accomplish goals, and

communicating effectively. Remember

that the following factors may help or

hinder staff participation:

• Time

• Access

5. Evaluate

Make sure you track the effects of

the program. If certain initiatives

don’t work, tweak them. If things

are working, keep doing them!

When analyzing an option, be sure to ask

yourself:

• How important is it?

• How much will it cost to implement?

• How much time and effort will be

needed to implement?

• How many staff will be affected?

• How well does it match the staff’s inter-

ests and opinions?

When creating your plan, be speciﬁc

and include:

• Overall measurable goals and

objectives of the wellness program

• Speciﬁc strategies to implement

• Chosen activities

• Staff, resources and materials needed

• Time frame

• Evaluation Plan

• Knowledge

• Cost

Here are the 5 basic steps in getting

your worksite wellness program started

Worksite Wellness Resource Kit

Download the resources you’ll need at:

www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/

physicalactivity/sites/worksitekit.htm

• Worksite Wellness Checklist

• Worksite Assessment Checklist

B U S I N E S S P R A C T I C E S

i n c l u s i o n

Write your policies to reﬂect inclusive practices.

Physical activity can be adapted for anyone and

everyone, so make sure your policies show that.

Use the phrases “all children” or “regardless of

ability.” Include personnel policies that ensure staff

members receive training in inclusive practices as

they relate to physical development and physical

activity. Ensure that job descriptions require staff

to practice inclusion in their classrooms.

c u l t u r a l c o m p e t e n c y

Be sure your business practices are respectful

and competent of culture. Your policies should

not only guard against discrimination in any form

but also embrace the culture of the children and

families in your program.

Shape your policies relating to physical activity

and gross motor development in a way that

demonstrates your program’s commitment to

understanding the culture of every family.

Acknowledge of each family should be visible in

the program’s environment, daily routines and

resources. Strive to invite families to share their

culture and ﬁnd ways to integrate the understanding

you gain. To ensure that you have adequately

addressed cultural competency in your policies,

it is helpful to have an overarching philosophy

and statement regarding cultural competence.

Use speciﬁc language when outlining each of

the policies, including those pertaining to

physical activity.

Make this commitment to providing culturally

competent early care and education explicit in

your program’s policies.

“ The children love to be

active. Our program

numbers continue to grow.

Increasingly we have

surveyed families about

physical activity, and it

continues to be a key

factor in why people are

involved in our centers

and programs.”

– Jennie Melde,

La Crosse Family YMCA,

La Crosse

• 55 •

B U S I N E S S P R A C T I C E S

t o o l s i n c l u d e d

Child Care Physical Activity Policies.

These sample policies outline best practices

and cover topics such time, environment,

training and education as each relates to

physical activity. (Appendix B)

e n g a g i n g f a m i l i e s

Share your policies with current and prospec-

tive families in your program. Emphasize that

physical activity has been integrated into every

part of a child’s day to encourage learning.

e n g a g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

Contact your local YMCA and other community

recreational centers to ask about membership

discounts to early care and education providers

in your area.

A P P E N D I C E S

• 56 •

L e t ’ s M o v e ! C h i l d C a r e C h e c k l i s t

APPENDIX A

Active Play Time Provisions

A. Active play time (indoor and outdoor) is

provided to all preschool children, including

children with special needs:

□ 45 minutes or

less each day

□ 46-90 minutes

each day

□ 91-120 minutes each

day

□ More than 120

minutes each day

B. In preschool classrooms, structured (or

teacher-led) activities are provided to all chil-

dren, including children with special needs:

□ 1 time per week

or less

□ 2-4 times per

week

□ 1 time per day □ 2 or more times

per day

C. Outdoor active play time is provided to all

preschool children, including children with

special needs:

□ 1 time a day for

30 minutes or less

□ 1 or more times

a day for a total of

30-45 minutes

□ 1 or more times a day

for a total of 45-60 minutes

or more

□ 2 or more times

each day for a total

of 60 minutes or more

D. During a typical day, excluding naps and

meals, preschool children are expected to

remain seated:

□ More than 30

minutes at a time,

or 15-30 minutes on

3 or more occasions

□ 15-30 minutes

on 2 occasions

□ 15-30 minutes but only 1

occasion

□ No more than 15

minutes at a time

Environment

A. Indoor gross motor play area for preschool

children, including those with special needs,

consists of:

□ Space only suit-

able for quiet play

□ Space for limited

movement (jump-

ing and rolling)

□ Ample space for some

active play (jumping, roll-

ing, and skipping)

□ Space for all

activities, including

running

B. Outdoor play areas for preschool children

including those with special needs, consists

of:

□ 1-2 different play

areas (e.g., sandbox,

swing set) but no

open space for run-

ning or track/path for

wheeled toys

□ 2-3 different

play areas, but

limited space for

running and use

of wheeled toys

□ Multiple play areas, and

either an open space for

running or a track/path for

wheeled toys

□ Multiple play

areas, open space for

running, and a track/

path for wheeled toys

C. Portable play equipment

(e.g., wheel toys, balls, hoops, ribbons)

for preschool children consists of:

□ Limited variety

and children must

take turns

□ Some variety

but children must

take turns

□ Good variety both

indoors and outdoors but

children must take turns

□ Lots of variety

both indoors and out-

doors for children to

use at the same time

• 57 •

Recommendations for Physical Activity for Preschoolers

1) Preschool children should receive be offered at least 120 minutes of active time each day

Provider Behaviors

A. In preschool classrooms, active play time is:

□ Often withheld

for misbehavior

□ Sometimes

withheld for mis-

behavior

□ Never withheld for mis-

behavior

□ Never withheld for

misbehavior and we

have a written policy

B. During preschool children’s active play time,

providers:

□ Supervise play

only (mostly sit or

stand)

□ Sometimes en-

courage children

to be active

□ Sometimes encourage

children to be active and

join children in active play

□ Often encourage

children to be active

and join children in

active play

Education

A. Training opportunities in physical activity

for preschool children (not including play-

ground safety) are offered to providers:

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

B. Parents of preschool children are offered

physical activity education (e.g., special pro-

grams, newsletters, information sheets):

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

Policy

A. At our child care facility, a policy on physi-

cal activity for preschool children address-

ing provider behaviors, education, and

active play opportunities:

□ Does not exist □ Is generally fol-

lowed but is not

written

□ Is written, generally

followed, and sometimes

shared with parents

□ Is written, avail-

able, followed, and

always shared with

parents

The Let’s Move! Child Care Checklist is based on the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) program. Checklist development was led by Dr. Dianne S. Ward, with

the assistance of her research team, including Temitope Erinosho, Christina McWilliams, Amber Vaughn, Chris Ford, and Phil Hanson; and in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention and expert reviewers, including (in alphabetical order) the Carolina Global Breast Feeding Institute, Marsha Dowda, Sybille Kranz, Sara Switzer, Stewart Trost, and Heather Wasser.

• 58 •

Recommendations for Physical Activity for Preschoolers continued

Recommendations for Infant/Toddler Physical Activity

Active Play Time Provisions

A. Short supervised periods of tummy time

are provided for all infants, including those

with special needs:

□ 45 minutes or

less each day

□ 46-90 minutes

each day

□ 91-120 minutes each

day

□ More than 120

minutes each day

B. Use of swings, infants seats (e.g., exersau-

cers, car seats, molded seats) is limited to

15 minutes (or less):

□ 1 time per week

or less

□ 2-4 times per

week

□ 1 time per day □ 2 or more times

per day

C. Infants, including those with special needs,

are taken outside:

□ 1 time a day for

30 minutes or less

□ 1 or more times

a day for a total of

30-45 minutes

□ 1 or more times a day

for a total of 45-60 minutes

or more

□ 2 or more times

each day for a total

of 60 minutes or more

D. When outdoors, infants are provided op-

portunities for exploration (e.g., rolling,

scooting, crawling, walking):

□ More than 30

minutes at a time,

or 15-30 minutes on

3 or more occasions

□ 15-30 minutes

on 2 occasions

□ 15-30 minutes but only 1

occasion

□ No more than 15

minutes at a time

E. Active play time (indoor and outdoor) is

provided to all toddlers, including children

with special needs:

□ 15-30 minutes

each day

□ 31-45 minutes

each day

□ 46-60 minutes each day □ 60-90 minutes

each day

F. Outdoor active play time is provided to all

toddlers, including children with special

needs:

□ 1 time a day for

30 minutes or less

□ 1 or more times

a day for a total of

30-45 minutes

□ 1 or more times a day

for a total of 45-60 minutes

or more

□ 2 or more times

each day for a total

of 60 minutes or more

Environment

A. For infants, including those with special

needs, indoor and outdoor play spaces

consist of:

□ Space only suit-

able for quiet play

□ Space is avail-

able, but allows

for only limited

types of activities

□ Areas separate from

preschoolers that provides

space for exploration and

skill building

□ Areas separate

from preschooler with

space available for all

types of activities

B. Play equipment for infants (small push toys,

balls, ramps for crawling, outdoor pad or

blanket) are age appropriate and consist of:

□ Limited variety

and children must

take turns

□ Some variety

but children must

take turns

□ Good variety both

indoors and outdoors but

children must take turns

□ Lots of variety

both indoors and out-

doors for children to

use at the same time

1) Toddlers should be offered at least 60 minutes of active time each day

• 59 •

C. For toddlers, including those with special

needs, indoor and outdoor play spaces

consist of:

□ Space only suit-

able for quiet play

□ Space is avail-

able, but allows

for only limited

types of activities

□ Areas separate from

preschoolers that provides

space for exploration and

skill building

□ Areas separate

from preschooler with

space available for all

types of activities

D. For toddlers, portable play equipment

(e.g., wheeled toys, balls, hoops, ribbons)

are ageappropriate and consist of:

□ Limited variety

and children must

take turns

□ Some variety

but children must

take turns

□ Good variety both

indoors and outdoors but

children must take turns

□ Lots of variety

both indoors and out-

doors for children to

use at the same time

Provider Behaviors

A. Providers engage with infants to encourage

development of gross motor skills

(e.g., reaching, sitting, standing, crawling,

walking):

□ Rarely or never □ Some of the

time

□ Most of the time □ All of the time

B. During toddlers’ active play time, staff:

□ Supervise play

only (mostly sit or

stand)

□ Sometimes en-

courage children

to be active

□ Sometimes encourage

children to be active and

join children in active play

□ Often encourage

children to be active

and join children in

active play

Education

A. Providers are provided training opportunities

in physical activity for infants and toddlers

(not including playground safety):

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

B. Parents of infants and toddlers are offered

physical activity education (e.g., special

programs,newsletters, information sheets):

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

Policy

A. At our child care facility, a policy on

physical activity for infant and toddlers

addressing provider behaviors, education,

and active play opportunities:

□ Does not exist □ Is generally fol-

lowed but is not

written

□ Is written, generally

followed, and sometimes

shared with parents

□ Is written, avail-

able, followed, and

always shared with

parents

The Let’s Move! Child Care Checklist is based on the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) program. Checklist development was led by Dr. Dianne S. Ward, with

the assistance of her research team, including Temitope Erinosho, Christina McWilliams, Amber Vaughn, Chris Ford, and Phil Hanson; and in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention and expert reviewers, including (in alphabetical order) the Carolina Global Breast Feeding Institute, Marsha Dowda, Sybille Kranz, Sara Switzer, Stewart Trost, and Heather Wasser.

• 60 •

Recommendations for Infant/Toddler Physical Activity continued

Recommendations for Screen Time for Preschoolers

Screen Time Provisions

A. In preschool classrooms, televisions are:

□ Located in every

classroom

□ Located in

most classrooms

□ Located in some class-

rooms

□ Stored outside of

classrooms, except

for occasional use

B. For preschool children, the amount of

screen time allowed is:

□ More than 2

hours per week of

total screen time at

child care.

□ 2 hours or less

per week of total

screen time at

child care.

□ 1 hour or less per week

for total screen time at

child care.

□ 30 minutes per

week or less for total

screen time at child

care.

C. For preschool children, television/DVD

viewing includes:

□ All types of

programming and

videos; with limited

coordination with

the curriculum

□ Educational

and some com-

mercial program-

ming and videos,

some of which are

integrated with

the curriculum

□ Mostly educational,

age-appropriate program-

ming and videos, many of

which are integrated with

the curriculum

□ Only commercial-

free, age-appro-

priate, educational

programming that is

integrated with the

curriculum

D. For preschool children, television/DVD

viewing during meals or snack time occurs:

□ All of the time □ Most of the

time

□ Some of the time □ Rarely or never

E. Television/video viewing is used as a reward

in preschool children’s classrooms:

□ All of the time □ Most of the

time

□ Some of the time □ Rarely or never

F. Among preschool children, computers are:

□ Available for use

all of the time, and

time allowed per

child is unlimited

□ Available sev-

eral times during

the day, and each

child is allowed

between 30 and 45

minutes per day

□ Available only during a

set time of day, and each

child is allowed between

15 and 30 minutes per day

□ Available only

during a set time of

day, and each child is

limited to 15 minutes

per day

Provider Behaviors

A. During screen time activities with preschool

children, providers supervise and watch

with the children:

□ Rarely or never □ Some of the

time

□ Most of the time □ All of the time

1) Screen time should be limited to 30 minutes a week for preschool children in child care

2) Screen time at home for preschool children should be limited to 1-2 hours of quality viewing

• 61 •

Education

A. Providers are offered training opportunities on

screen time reduction and/or media literacy for

preschool children:

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

B. Parents of preschool children are offered screen time

reduction and/or media literacy education (e.g., spe-

cial programs, newsletters, or information sheets):

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

Policy

A. At our child care facility, a written policy on screen

time in preschool classrooms that includes provid-

er behaviors, education, and screen time use:

□ Does not exist □ Is generally fol-

lowed but is not

written

□ Is written, generally

followed, and sometimes

shared with parents

□ Is written, available,

followed, and always

shared with parents

The Let’s Move! Child Care Checklist is based on the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) program. Checklist development was led by Dr. Dianne S. Ward, with

the assistance of her research team, including Temitope Erinosho, Christina McWilliams, Amber Vaughn, Chris Ford, and Phil Hanson; and in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention and expert reviewers, including (in alphabetical order) the Carolina Global Breast Feeding Institute, Marsha Dowda, Sybille Kranz, Sara Switzer, Stewart Trost, and Heather Wasser.

Recommendations for Screen Time for Infants and Toddlers 1) No screen time for 0-2 year olds

Screen Time Provisions

A. Toddlers and infants are allowed to watch televi-

sion/videos:

□ 1 or more times

each day

□ 2-4 times per

week

□ 1 time per week or less □ Never

Education

A. Training opportunities on screen time reduction

and/or media literacy for infants and toddlers

are offered to providers:

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

B. Parents of infants and toddlers are offered screen

time reduction and/or media literacy (e.g., special

programs, newsletters, or information sheets):

□ Rarely or never □ Less than 1

time per year

□ 1 time per year □ 2 times per year or

Media Policy

A. At our child care facility, a written policy on screen

time for infants and toddlers that includes provider

behaviors, education, and screen time use:

□ Does not exist □ Is generally fol-

lowed but is not

written

□ Is written, generally

followed, and sometimes

shared with parents

□ Is written, available,

followed, and always

shared with parents

• 62 •

Recommendations for Screen Time for Preschoolers continued

• 63 •

C h i l d c a r e p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y p o l i c i e s

APPENDIX B

Active Play and Inactive Time

m We provide at least 120 minutes of active playtime to all preschool-age children each day

m We provide toddlers with at least 90 minutes of physical activity each day, with at least 30 minutes of teacher-led activity

m We provide infants with tummy time two to three times a day while the child is awake

m We provide all children with opportunities for outdoor play two or more times per day

m We limit the use of conﬁning equipment, such as swings and bouncy chairs, in order to support infant development

m We ensure that preschool-age children are rarely seated for periods of more than 30 minutes

m We do not withhold active playtime for children who misbehave. Instead, we provide additional active playtime for good behavior

m We rarely show television or videos. Children under age 2 are not allowed screen time

Play Environment

m We provide ﬁxed play equipment (tunnels, climbing and balancing equipment) that is extensive and varied for all children

m We provide portable play equipment (wheeled toys, balls, hoops, ribbons) that is diverse and available for children to use at the same time

m We make outdoor portable play equipment freely available to all children all of the time

m Outdoor play space includes an open, grassy area and a track/path for wheeled toys

m Indoor play space is available for all activities, including running, when weather does not permit outdoor play

m Indoor play space that is large, open and safe is available for infants to move freely and be active

m Safe indoor equipment is accessible in classrooms at all times (soft balls, push-pull toys, low-carpeted blocks for climbing, tunnels)

Supporting Physical Activity

m Our staff provides planned daily physical activity for infants that is safe, engaging and appropriate and responds promptly to infant cues of frustration, boredom or fatigue

m Our staff often encourages children to be active and often join others in active play, both indoors and outdoors

m We provide visible support for physical activity in classrooms and common areas through use of posters, pictures and displayed books

m We provide fun and engaging physical activity daily in our lesson plans

m We re-direct children to safe physical activities and/or involve them in discussion about safety concerns

m We ask that all children are dressed for physical activity. Restrictive shoes are not allowed

Physical Activity Education

m We provide training opportunities for staff on physical activity (other than playground safety) two times a year or more

m We provide teacher-directed physical activity education for children, through a standardized curriculum, once a week or more

m We offer physical activity education to parents twice a year or more

In an effort to provide the best possible nutrition and physical activity environment for the children in our facility, we have adopted the following policies.

The administration and staff appreciate support from parents in promoting the health of our children.

A c t i v e E a r l y q u a l i t y i m p r o v e m e n t p l a n

APPENDIX C

Directions: Using the results of the self-assessment, prioritize the quality improvement area(s) to be completed within the plan. Not all physical activity areas

need to be addressed immediately. Start with three to ﬁve aims/outcomes to work on at a time. More aims/outcomes can be overwhelming and too few will

limit the success you experience in your program. Be sure to write your goals in a way that demonstrates how they are inclusive and culturally competent.

• 64 •

Quality

Improve-

ment Area

Aim/

Desired

Outcome

Barriers Task(s) Responsible

Party

Resources

in-hand/

Resources

Needed

Measurement Timeline/

Benchmarks

Test of Plan

Worth doing? Y or N

Measurable? Y or N

Outcomes? Y or N

Inclusive? Y or N

Culturally

Competent? Y or N

Worth doing? Y or N

Measurable? Y or N

Outcomes? Y or N

Inclusive? Y or N

Culturally

Competent? Y or N

Worth doing? Y or N

Measurable? Y or N

Outcomes? Y or N

Inclusive? Y or N

Culturally

Competent? Y or N

Worth doing? Y or N

Measurable? Y or N

Outcomes? Y or N

Inclusive? Y or N

Culturally

Competent? Y or N

Original QIP Date: Date of QIP Review:

TERM MEANING

STABILITY MOVEMENTS

Swaying Moving the top of your body from side to side without moving your feet

Swinging Moving back and forth with the lower part of your body

Hanging Holding on to or fastening to something above and leaving the bottom of your body free to move

Turning Changing the direction of your body

Twisting Turning one part of your body in one direction while leaving the other part of your body in the same position

Balancing Keeping your body steady, so you do not fall over

Curling Moving your body parts in wards, such as bringing your knees to your chest

Standing Being on your feet with your body upright, but without moving your feet

Sitting Resting on your bottom

Squatting Bending your knees and lowering your body

Kneeling Bending your legs and putting your knees on the ground

Pulling Moving something forward or toward you

Pushing Pressing on or against something

Stretching Spreading out your arms, legs or body and reaching as far as you can with each

Bending Moving at your joints, such as your waist, elbow or knee

Shaking Moving quickly back and forth or side to side

Dodging Avoiding something by moving quickly out of the way

Landing Coming down from the air

Transferring Body Weight Moving from one part of your body to another; balancing on one foot and then the other or moving from your hands to your feet

L a n g u a g e d e v e l o p m e n t w o r d l i s t s

APPENDIX D

Movement Awareness: What the Body Does

• 65 •

TERM MEANING

TRAINING MOVEMENTS

Walking Moving along by placing one foot on the ground before lifting the other

Climbing Using hands and feet to move upwards on an object

Crawling

Moving forward on your hands and knees

Marching

Moving like you are walking, but lifting your knees higher

Gliding Moving smoothly and easily, as in a skating motion

Running Moving along by quickly placing one foot in front of the other

Jumping Pushing off with two feet and landing on two feet

Hopping Pushing off on one foot and landing on the same foot

Leaping Jumping from one foot and landing on the other foot

Galloping Moving forward quickly with both feet leaving the ground at the same time

Sliding Moving sideways, taking a step with one foot and then bringing the other foot from behind up next to it

Skipping Moving forward with a step and a hop on one foot and then a step and a hop on the other foot

MANIPULATING OBJECTS WITH MOVEMENTS

Throwing Sending something through the air by pulling your hand back, bringing your arm forward and releasing the object as you

pull your arm to the front

Underhand

throwing

Sending something through the air by pulling your hand back under your shoulder, bringing your arm forward under your

shoulder and releasing the object as you pull your arm to the front

Overhand throw-

ing

Sending something through the air by pulling your hand back over your shoulder, bringing your arm forward over your

shoulder and releasing the object as you pull your arm to the front

Rolling Moving something across the ground by pulling it back, pushing it forward and releasing it

Catching Grabbing hold of something moving through the air

Kicking Moving something forward by hitting it with your foot

Punting Dropping an object, such as a ball, from your hands and kicking it before it hits the ground

Trapping Stopping an object, such as a ball, with your foot

Striking To hit an object, such as a ball, away from the body with a hand or an object such as a bat or racket

Volleying To hit an object before it hits the ground

Dribbling To hit an object, such as a ball, downwards, so it hits the ground and bounces back up to your hand

• 66 •

• 67 •

Relational Awareness:

Awareness of Self, Others and Objects

Body Parts

____________________________________________________

Head Foot Shoulder

Hand Arms Neck

Ears Fingers Stomach

Eyes Wrist Back

Nose Elbow Bottom

Leg Ankles Hips

Knee Toes Chest

Shapes

____________________________________________________

Big Narrow Circle

Small Thin Rectangle

Curved Twisted Symmetrical

Straight Triangle Nonsymmetrical

Wide Square

Roles

____________________________________________________

Leading Taking Turns Between Groups

Following Partner Unison

Mirroring Solo Contrast

Matching Groups

Association

____________________________________________________

Letters Colors Pretense

Numbers Hand Signs

Locations

____________________________________________________

Near to In front Apart

Far from Behind Surrounding

Around Meeting Alongside

Through Parting Over

Facing In Under

Side by Side Out Top

On Together Bottom

Off

Stanley, Shelia (Ed.). (1977). Physical education: A movement orientation. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Space Awareness:

Where the Body Moves

Direction

________________________________________________

Up Left Sideways

Down Forward Clockwise

Right Backward Counterclockwise

Levels

________________________________________________

Low High Middle

Pathways

________________________________________________

Straight Curved Zigzag

Extensions

________________________________________________

Large Small Far Near

Effort Awareness:

How the Body Moves

Time & Speed

____________________________________________________

Slow Speeding up Quick

Medium Slowing down Sustained

Fast Sudden

Rhythm

____________________________________________________

Beats Patterns Cadence

(Regular Rhythm) (Repeated Order) (Rhythmic Pattern)

Sound

____________________________________________________

Loud Quiet Soft

Force & Muscle Tension

____________________________________________________

Degree of:

Light Strong Heavy

Medium Weak

Creating:

Starting Sustained Explosive

Absorbing:

Stopping Receiving

Controlling Effort

____________________________________________________

Weight Transfer:

Rocking Rolling Flight Stepping

Dimensions:

Single Movement Combination Transitions

of Movements

Full day sample schedules: group child care & family child care

APPENDIX E

Full Day Sample Schedule: Group Child Care

Arrival, preparation

& choice activities

30 minutes (be-

fore and while

children arrive)

Music & Movement interest

area available

Group meeting

20 minutes Teacher-Led Physical Activity

Integrated into Content

Choice time

60 minutes Music & Movement Interest

area available

Cleanup, handwashing

and snack

20 minutes Activity related to transition

Small groups

20 minutes Integration of Physical

Activity into studies

(i.e. math, literacy)

Outdoor choice time

40 minutes Teacher-Led Physical Activity

Included

Read-aloud

15 minutes Acting out Story

Lunch & Meaningful

Conversation

40 minutes

Rest and quiet

activities

45 minutes

Outdoor choice time

30 minutes Teacher-Led Physical Activity

Included

Read-aloud

15 minutes Acting out Story

Limited choices and

small groups

30 minutes Movement Interest Area

available and/or Integration

of Physical Activity into stud-

ies (i.e. math, literacy)

Group meeting and

departures

20 minutes Teacher-Led Physical Activity

Integrated into Content

Teacher planning

time

Intentionally include physical

activity in tomorrow’s plan

Full Day Sample Schedule: Family Child Care

Early morning and

arrival

Morning circle

minutes

Teacher-Led Physical

Activity Integrated into

Content

Morning choice

time and snack

1 hour

Music & Movement

Interest area available

Outdoor play

1 hour Teacher-Led Physical

Activity Included

Transition indoors

and to group read-

aloud time

1/2 hour Activity related to

transition and acting

out Story

Lunch & Meaningful

Conversation

30-45

minutes

Nap time and

afternoon snack

1-2 hours

Afternoon choice

time and outdoor

play

2 hours Music & Movement

Interest area available &

Teacher-Led Physical

Activity Included Outdoors

Transition and af-

ternoon meeting

1/2 hour Activity related to

transition & Teacher-

Led Physical Activity

Integrated into Content

End of the day

Physical Activity Options

available (i.e. Music &

Movement Interest Area)

• 68 •

I n f a n t a n d t o d d l e r s c h e d u l e

APPENDIX F

Time Child: Infant Child: Toddler Child: Child:

7:00am

Arrives

7:30am

Eat

8:00am Tummy Time

8:30am Free Movement

9:00am Free Movement

Arrives

9:30am

Naptime

Group Time

10:00am

Naptime Snack

10:30am

Eat

Choice Time

11:00am Outdoor Time Outdoor Time

11:30am Engaged PA

Meal Time

12:00pm

Free Movement Naptime

12:30pm Tummy Time

Naptime

1:00pm

Eat

Choice Time

1:30pm

Naptime

Choice Time

2:00pm

Naptime Snack

2:30pm

Naptime

Group Time

3:00pm Outdoor Time Outdoor Time

3:30pm Outdoor Time Outdoor Time

4:00pm

Eat

Choice Time

4:30pm Tummy Time Choice Time

5:00pm

Departs Late Snack

5:30pm Outdoor Time

6:00pm

Departs

List the child’s name and times for care-giving routines, such as physical activity, sleeping, eating, etc. Using this information for the group, determine the following: outdoor times,

planning times and cleaning times. Highlight times for physical activity and outdoor play. Think about times when more help may be needed to be prepared ahead of time.

Choice Time always includes options for physical activity and gross motor development Group Time always includes 10 minutes of planned teacher-led physical activity, but remains ﬂexible

• 69 •

B o o k s t o m o v e t o : P h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y a n d l i t e r a c y

APPENDIX G

Amazon Sun, Amazon Rain

By Ximena de la Piedra

Anna Banana,

101 Jump Rope Rhymes

By Joanna Cole

The Ants Came Marching

By Martin Kelly

The Aunts Go Marching

By Maurie Jo Manning

Barnyard Dance

By Sandra Boynton

Boom Chicka Rock

By John Archambault

Bounce

By Doreen Cronin

Brown Bear, Brown Bear,

What Do You See

By Bill Martin, Jr.

The Busy Body Book:

A Kid’s Guide to Fitness

By Lizzie Rockwell

Catch the Ball!

By Eric Carle

The Caterpillar Fight

By Sam McBratney

Clap Your Hands

By Lorinda Bryan Cavley

Down By the Bay

By Rafﬁ

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

By Martin Kelly & Phil Legris

Five Little Ducks

By Rafﬁ

Five Little Monkeys

Jumping on the Bed

By Eileen Christelow

From Head to Toe

By Eric Carle

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

By Annie Kubler

Hey! Wake Up!

By Sandra Boynton

The Hokey Pokey

By Larry La Prise

Hop! Hop! Hop!

By Ann Whitford Paul

Hop Jump

By Ellen Stoll Walsh

If You’re Happy and Know It!

By Jane Cabrera

Jump, Kangaroo, Jump!

By Stuart J. Murphy

Just Like Josh Gibson

By Angela Johnson

Millions of Snowﬂakes

By Mary McKenna Siddals

Monkey See, Monkey Do

By Marc Graveg

Monster Musical Chairs

By Stuart J. Murphy

My Mama Had a Dancing Heart

By Libba Moore Gray

One, Two, Skip A Few!

By Roberta Arenson

Over in the Grasslands

By Anna Wilson and Alison Bartlett

Over, Under, Through

By Tana Hoban

Philadelphia Chickens:

A Too Illogical, Zoological

Musical Revue

By Sandra Boynton and

Michael Ford

Polar Bear, Polar Bear,

What Do You Hear

By Bill Martin, Jr.

Rap a Tap Tap: Here’s Bojangles—

Think of That!

By Leo and Diane Dillon

Shake My Sillies Out

By Rafﬁ

Shape Space

By Cathryn Falwell

Sheep Wants to Jump

By Clive Batkin

The Snowy Day

By Ezra Jack Keats

Sometimes, I Like to Curl up in a Ball

By Vicki Churchill

Song and Dance Man

By Karen Ackerman

Stomp, Stomp!

By Bob Kolar

Stop Drop and Roll

By Margery Cuyler

Ten Flashing Fireﬂies

By Philemon Sturges

Ten Go Tango

By Arthur Dorros

Tessa’s Tip-Tapping Toes

By Carolyn Crimi

Under the Sea

By Emma Lynch

Walking Through the Jungle

By Debbie Harter

We All Went on Safari

By Larie Krebs

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

By Michael Rosen

Where the Wild Things Are

By Maurice Sendak

Who Hops?

By Katie Davis

Who Jumps?

By Edwina Lewis and Ant Parker

The Wind Blew

By Pat Hutchins

• 70 •

H o m e m a d e p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y m a t e r i a l s

APPENDIX H

Item Instructions

Balance Beam

Use a 4x4 beam of about 8 feet in length. Secure two stabilizing pieces of lumber to the bottom of the beam with screws. Smooth the

edges with a router or apply carpeting or matting over the length of the beam. (Contact a local hardware store for assistance).

Balance Boards

Use a ½” or ¾” piece of plywood for top of the balance board. Use a piece of piping or any other strong material that is shaped in a

cylinder for bottom. Wrap the piping in tape if its surface needs to be smoother.Try making different shapes (circle, rectangle, square)

for the top of the balance board.

Beanbags

Cut a heavy, sturdy cloth material into a 4” x 8” rectangle or a 6” x 6” rectangle. Fold the piece of cloth over to make a square (make sure you are

folding the sides you want on the outside of the beanbag inwards). Triple stitch two of the sides. Turn the cloth inside out to expose a smooth out-

side surface. Fill with dried beans or other seeds. Sew the last side. If you want to get really creative, try making bean bags in different shapes!

Bowling Pins

Use either empty ½ gallon plastic bleach bottles or potato chip canisters. Fill each with 2 to 3 inches of sand to weigh them down.

Climbing Rope

Select a rope with a diameter of 1½ inches. Put a few knots in the bottom half of the rope so children can be successful at climbing.

Space knots about 9 inches apart. By leaving the top half without knots, it can serve as a challenge to more experienced climbers.

Jump Ropes

Use 3/8” to ½” sash cord or plow line (this can be purchased at a hardware store). Cut into 5 to 8 foot lengths for individual short ropes. To prevent

unraveling, wrap rope ends with duct tape and cut through tape with a sharp knife. If you would like longer ropes, cut pieces into 10 to 16 foot lengths.

Ladder

Rails of the ladder can be made from 2” x 2” or 2” x 4” pieces of lumber. The rails should be between 7’ and 12’ long. Rungs should be between 12”

and 16” inches long with a piece of wood either 1½” in diameter or a 2” x 2”. Use screws and/or nails to fasten rungs securely with spacing of 12” to

14” apart. Sand and paint or varnish the ladder for safety. Also, consider using varied spacing between the rungs for a more challenging experience.

Cones

Ask government traffic and highway agencies if you can have discarded traffic cones. Otherwise, half gallon bleach bottles or milk contain-

ers that have been emptied and cleaned can be used for cones by filling them was 2 or 3 cups of sand to keep them from tipping.

Movement

Mats

Purchase clear plastic carpet runners. Cut footprints, handprints and seatprints from contact paper. Apply them to the carpet runner.

This can help guide children in their movements.

Parachute

Instead of purchasing a parachute, use a sheet from a queen size or king size set. Military supply depots also may have old, inexpensive parachutes.

Scoop

Cut the bottom from a cleaned ½ gallon plastic bottle with a handle. Tape along the cut edge for safety!

Tires

Ask a tire store if you can have discarded automobile rubber tires. Look for tires of different sizes for children to have different

handling and lifting experiences. You can paint the tires various colors and with designs using lacquer or water-based paints.

Vaulting Box

Stack old newspapers and magazines in a cardboard box. Tape and tie the box securely. Now you have a vaulting box!

Wands

Saw off discarded broomsticks or dowels in lengths of 30 inches or less. Sand and paint each colorfully!

• 71 •

From See How They Run: A Lesson Guide to Preschool Movement Education by Joni Coe and Lee Allsbrook. 1978.

P h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y m a t e r i a l s & e q u i p m e n t i d e a s

APPENDIX I

Travelling Skills

Movement CDs

Movement Cards

Cone Markers

Hurdles

Foam Dice

Streamers

Hopscotch Carpet

Relay Batons

Movement Mats

Jump Ropes

Dancing Wrist Bands

Tricycles

Tunnels

Spot Markers

Tumbling Mat

Movement Dice

Sleds

Wagon

Manipulating Skills

Parachute

Playground Balls

Whifﬂe Balls

Sports Balls

Foam Balls

Sensory Balls

Fleece Balls

Beach Balls

EZ Catch

Bean Bags

Scarves

Soft Flying Discs

Plastic Bat

Batting Tee

Paddles

Targets

Scoops

Basketball Hoop

Soccer Goal

Bowling Pins

Balancing Skills

Yoga for Kids

Hula Hoops

Stilts

Activity Rings

Teeter Totter

Balance Beam

Ladder

Stepping Stones

Stepping Logs

Storage & Upkeep

Storage Cart

Storage Shelves

Storage Tubs

Hooks

Inﬂator

Mesh Bag

Foot Pump

The Materials and Equipment Ideas are broken down by the physical development or gross motor skill they promote the most.

However, many materials can be used to develop multiple gross motor skills!

• 72 •

Best Practices for Physical Activity: A Guide to Help Children Grow Up Healthy” Nemours Health and Prevention Services. 2010 Nemours Foundation, Newark, Delaware

• 73 •

Lead Author

Bridget Cullen, MSE, is the

Program and Policy Analyst

for the Wisconsin Department

of Children and Families’

YoungStar program.

Writing Team

Jill Hoiting, MSW, is the

Prevention and Policy Manager

for Supporting Families

Together Association.

Amy Meinen, MPH, RD, CD,

is the Nutrition Coordinator

for the Wisconsin Department

of Health Services’ Nutrition,

Physical Activity, and Obesity

Program.

Jon Morgan, MS, is the

Physical Activity Coordinator

for the Wisconsin Department

of Health Services’ Nutrition,

Physical Activity & Obesity

Program.

Karen Odegaard, MPH, is

the Physical Activity Project

Coordinator with Communities

Putting Prevention to Work with

the Wisconsin Department of

Health Services.

Contributors

Zach Bartel created the

illustrations for Active Early.

Moryah Becker, MBA, RD, is a

Nutrition Program Consultant

with the Community Nutrition

Team at the Wisconsin Depart-

ment of Public Instruction.

Jessica Cioci is a Training

Specialist at 4-C Community

Coordinated Child Care.

Leslie Clachrie is an Outreach

Coordinator, Food Program

Coordinator and YoungStar

Technical Consultant at Family

Connections of Southwest WI.

Laura Fischer is the Child

Care Nutrition Educator and

AmeriCorps Member with

Communities Putting

Prevention to Work in

Wood County, Wisconsin.

Renee Fox is a Health Educator

with Aspirus and Communities

Putting Prevention to Work in

Wood County, Wisconsin.

Linda Francis is a Resource &

Referral Manager at Child Care

Resource & Referral of Central

Wisconsin, Inc.

Connie Frey is an Early

Childhood Consultant at Child

Care Resource & Referral, Inc.

Pattie Godsell is an Active Early

Coordinator and YoungStar

Specialist with the Wisconsin

Early Childhood Association in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Whitney Hein collaborated

on the design and lay out of

Active Early.

Tracie Jarentowski is a Training

Specialist at 4C-For Children.

Delechia Johnson is an Early

Care and Education Manager

at 4C-For Children.

Julee Katona is a Site

Coordinator at The Parenting

Place in Tomah, Wisconsin.

Tara LaRowe, PhD, is an Assis-

tant Scientist at the University of

Wisconsin-Madison Department

of Family Medicine.

Julie Logue is the Physical

Activity Coordinator for Com-

munities Putting Prevention

to Work with the Wisconsin

Department of Health Services.

Michelle Messer, RN, is a

Quality Improvement Special-

ist with the Western Dairyland

Child Care Partnership.

Paula Naumann is a Technical

Consultant at Western Dairy-

land Child Care Partnership.

Monica Owsichek, RD, CD, is a

Nutrition Program Consultant

with the Community Nutrition

Team at the Department of

Public Instruction.

Mark Lundey, copy edited

Active Early.

Molle Polzin, RD, CD, is a

Nutrition Program Consultant

with the Community Nutrition

Team at the Department of

Public Instruction.

Paige Rauen is an Early

Childhood Consultant at

Family Connections, Inc.

Susie Reeck-Mathe is a

Child Care Resource &

Referral Specialist at The

Parenting Place.

Courtney Saxler is a Research

Specialist at the University of

Wisconsin-Madison Depart-

ment of Family Medicine.

Jamie Tramte Brassﬁeld is a

Quality Improvement Special-

ist with Family & Childcare

Resources of N.E.W.

Mary Kay Warner is the owner

of Sandhill Studio, LLC. She was

the art director and designer

for Active Early.

Patti Whyte is a Resource

Specialist and Trainer and

Technical Constulant for

Pre-Licensing, YoungStar and

Active Early at Northwest

Connection Family Resources.

Kao Xiong is a Bilingual Aid

and YoungStar Technical

Consultant with Child Care

Connection, Inc.

Marilyn Young is a Parent

Educator at Northwest

Connection Family Resources.

Former University of Wisconsin

Hospital and Clinics Dietetics

Interns Michaela Covelli,

Suzanne Fuchs, Nicholle

Oman, Christine Taylor

Reviewers

Tanya Kirtz is the Child and

Adult Care Food Program

manager for 4-C Community

Coordinated Child Care.

Sarah Mittermaier is a Program

Assistant for the Wisconsin

Department of Health Services’

Nutrition, Physical Activity &

Obesity Program.

Lana Nenide, MS, IMH-E

(IV) is

the Professional Development

Director and WI Pyramid Model

State Coordinator with the

Wisconsin Alliance for Infant

Mental Health.

Jeanette Paulson is the

Director of the Department

of Workforce Initiatives with

the Wisconsin Early Childhood

Association.

Teresa Storm is the owner

and operator of Tender Times

Child Care in Amery, WI,

a family provider pilot site

for Active Early.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

OBESITY PREVENTION UNIT

Division of Public Health

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

P.O. Box 2659

Madison, WI 53701-2659

608.267.3694

http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/

physicalactivity/index.htm

BUREAU OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

Division of Early Care and Education

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

201 E. Washington Ave

Madison, WI 53707

608. 266.8880

www.dcf.wisconsin.gov

COMMUNITY NUTRITION TEAM

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

125 S. Webster St.

Madison, WI 53707

608.267.9129

http://dpi.wi.gov/fns/cacfp1.html

P-00280 SEPTEMBER 2011