Kids in daycare are more sedentary than you’d think. These educators aim to get preschoolers moving

Childcare educator Lisa Cloutier knows the importance of keeping preschoolers active. Most days, she takes her class outside to explore the nearby forest or run around the school where their daycare is located in east Toronto. Growing up in Nova Scotia, Cloutier spent her days scrambling over rocks and trees, and she believes that children are naturally curious and need to be active.

However, the recent polar vortex that hit Toronto forced Cloutier and her co-workers to get creative with indoor activities for the kids. She has noticed a trend of children, including her own teens, becoming more sedentary and attached to screens since the pandemic. This has raised concerns about the impact on their development of fundamental movement, social, and cognitive skills.

Research from Western University’s Child Health and Physical Activity Lab has found that preschool children spend around 43 minutes per hour sedentary while in childcare. This aligns with data from Statistics Canada showing high levels of screen time and sedentary behavior among young children. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily for preschoolers.

Building physical literacy is essential for young children, helping them develop gross-motor skills, fitness, bone health, and cognitive and social skills. To address the barriers that daycare educators face in getting kids moving, an e-learning course from Western University’s Child Health and Physical Activity Lab has been developed. This course aims to provide training and support for educators to incorporate more active play into their programs.

The e-course has been well-received, with approximately 700 educators across Canada completing it. Jennifer Usher, an ECE program coordinator in Alberta, found the course to be eye-opening and practical, offering strategies that can be implemented immediately in the classroom. The course emphasizes the importance of actively engaging with children to help them build their physical literacy skills.

Despite the challenges of extreme weather, educators like Cloutier are finding creative ways to keep kids active indoors. From “ice hockey on the carpet” to gymnastics obstacle courses, there are plenty of ways to incorporate movement into daily activities. By prioritizing physical activity and teaching children how to move their bodies with confidence, educators are helping to lay the foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle for preschoolers.