Daily Movement Guidelines
It can be difficult to know what level of activity, rest, and sleep is best for kids and teens. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth (5 to 17 years) shows us what a healthy 24-hour period looks like – including physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep recommendations. Sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour are connected! Children who sleep better move more and those who move more sleep better!
Unfortunately, the majority of Canadian children and youth are not meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Children who meet the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines are more likely to:
- Improve their health
- Do better in school
- Improve their fitness
- Grow stronger
- Have fun playing with friends
- Feel happier
- Maintain a healthy body weight
- Improve their self-confidence
- Learn new skills
- Decrease their chance of developing many chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes
For more information:
- 10-5-2-1-0 web page
- Video – Exploring Physical and Health Literacy
- Video – Applying Physical and Health Literacy
Active Outdoor Play
Active outdoor play is beneficial for the healthy growth and development of children. When children play outside, they move more, sit less and play longer. It provides children with different opportunities to explore, experiment and develop new skills and abilities. Unfortunately, today’s children play outside far less than their parents did.
As children grow, parents and caregivers can allow them more freedom from direct supervision while they play outside. To learn more about how and when to give your children independence from direct supervision outside, we invite you to review the following resources:
- Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society – Guidelines for Supervision of Children
- Parachute – A national charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives
Other Resources:
- Active and Safe Routes to School: Information about how to promote walking to school.
- Active for Life: Contains resources for parents to help their kids develop physical literacy.
- ParticipACTION: Information about physical activity benefits and guidelines across the lifespan. Be sure to check out Build Your Best Day, an interactive online resource to help kids learn about the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.
- Public Health Agency of Canada: Tips to Get Active
- Raising our Healthy Kids
