1-800-410-8780 www.SchoolAgeNotes.com ©2008 School-Age NOTES 1 Play necessary for children’s social development Not too long ago, the school day was a mix of academics and activity. After a few hours of reading, math and social studies, children ran off to eat lunch before playing with friends on the playground. Later, after another block of academics, P.E. class let children try their hands at baseball, kickball, volleyball and gymnastics, Today, with the elimination of P.E. and recess from many school programs, children come to an after- school program after a full day of work. Not being allowed the time or opportunity for physical activity affects the management and behavior supervision in the classroom and the overall contribution to a child’s emotional, physical, social and cognitive development. The increased demand on parents working outside the home has increased the number of children with less time to play in their yards or neighborhoods under adult supervision, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Thus, children are spending more time indoors watching TV, playing video and computer games and eating. All of this is creating a greater problem — childhood obesity. Combined with the trend of public schools eliminating recess and we generate a situation where a child is in danger of not developing into a healthy, productive young adult. In a 1989 survey by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, 90 percent of the school districts surveyed indicated that a type of recess occurred once or twice a day and lasted fifteen to twenty minutes. Since that date and with the increased pressure from a number of sources to improve achievement, increase test scores and cover an increasingly demanding curriculum, nearly 40 percent of the nation’s 16,000 school districts have either modified, eliminated or are considering eliminating recess from the daily elementary school schedule (American Association for the Child’s Right to Play). This trend appears to be increasing yearly (Education Daily, 1998). Reasons given for eliminating recess include safety and injury issues leading to lawsuits, academic concerns including the need for more testing and the ease with which recess can be cut. There is a significant need for more after-school programs. These programs must be play-based, affordable, offer a variety of activities and be flexible in their operating hours for all out-of-school time. These are just a few requirements that are needed to run a quality after-school program that encourages play. Play, for a school-age child, is important to his or her social development. During sociodramatic play, the themes can be fantasy or from real experiences. This provides children an opportunity to think for themselves and solve problems. They learn to express themselves in an acceptable manner and learn to understand how their friends feel. They also learn to take turns, negotiate and share. School-Age NOTES November 2008 Volume XXIX Issue #3 By Robin Korson Inside This Issue Educators are creating fitness programs that meet before and after school — and the kids are having fun ............................ 3 Also: Play is a necessary part of children’s development ........ 1 Why should you change your leadership style?.................... 2 December Activities ............... 4 December Calendar ............... 5 Use games to challenge children, get active ................ 7 Grass-roots initiative seeks to get children outside .............. 8 Photo by iStock Play is crucial to a child’s social development. However, studies show that children are spending more time indoors watching TV, playing computer games and eating. Please see PLAY on page 6 Publisher: Tracey C. Ballas Managing Editor: Erika Konowalow Shipping Clerk: Stefan Sanderson Cover image by Marilyn McKinley Subscriptions — $33.95/12 issues Send inquiries to: School-Age NOTES, PO Box 476, New Albany, OH 43054, 1-800-410-8780, 614-855-9315 School-Age NOTES (ISSN 0728-3126) is published monthly by School-Age NOTES Inc., 7191 Talanth Place, New Albany, OH 43054, for $33.95 per year. Periodicals postage paid at New Albany, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to School-Age NOTES, PO Box 476, New Albany, OH 43054. 2 ©2008 School-Age NOTES www.SchoolAgeNotes.com November 2008 Deciding to change your leadership behavior: ‘What’s in it for me?’ By Paula Cohen and Susan Taylor This article is part of a semi-regular series for School-Age NOTES by Trine Ventures on leadership and communication. In our last article (School-Age NOTES, Vol. 29, Issue 2) we identified three behavioral components that after-school program directors should consider: create, communicate and calculate. As you read that article, you may have thought, “How can I take on one more thing? Just getting through the day requires my total concentration.” Frequently, you may feel as though your day is spent fighting fires, and solving one problem after another. In addition, you may even have wondered why firefighting gear has not become standard issue for every after-school director! As a leader, you must take charge, break the firefighting cycle and address daily and future operations proactively. Remember that change starts with the leader. We know breaking the current cycle is difficult, but it is not impossible. Doing so will challenge your personal reserves and stamina; however, the payoff is phenomenal. Picture a future where your program has just received an award for outstanding achievement, has a waiting list of potential staff, has students clamoring to get in … and you were the catalyst for this change! We know that before anyone takes on a major challenge of changing behavior, the question of “What’s in it for me?” must be answered satisfactorily. We also recognize that people change for their own reasons. However, as a leader, you are in the unique position of wearing a number of hats. Your question, “What’s in it for me?” must be enlarged to include your students, your staff members and your program as well as yourself. At times, just the thought of change can make you cringe. Without a starting point, change can definitely be overwhelming. The WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)Assessment offers a starting point. What follows is a sample situation and application of the WIIFM Assessment. Let’s say that you have been receiving increased criticism about the communication (or lack of) within your program. You vacillate from believing to discarding the information. At the same time you’re wondering if you really should do something about it. You ask yourself if the challenge is worth the effort. Zukav and Francis state, “Choice is the power to make a difference in your life” (p. 36). Change will take time, energy and possibly money now with the expectation of payoff later. What will you choose? To help you gain perspective about the sample situation, look at a list of possible concerns that affect your motivation to change. Remember the WIIFM Assessment concept is as true for others as it is for you. We encourage you to modify the list to reflect your own situation. Review your list and eliminate those concerns that are outside your control. Once you have a substantial list, sort through the items and mark each one with either a plus (Reason to Change) or a minus (Reason NOT to Change). You may want to mark some items as both. Resist that impulse. After you complete the WIIFM Assessment, analyze your findings. If there are more pluses than minuses, you’re ready for the next step. If not, consider that this is not the right time to attempt change. Possibly you’ve also discovered that just reviewing these areas of concern has provided valuable insights. Sample list & scoring -Staff learning curve +Meeting current goals +Staff resistance +Student learning + Links with regular school programs +Community support -Operational needs -Time -Funding +Transfer learning +Staff performance +Staff turnover +Program mission and goals +Program growth Consider the information from your WIIFM Assessment as you proceed to the next step. Again, using our sample communication situation within your program: • Establish a goal to improve communication • Set performance-based objectives • Develop an action plan with time commitments • Get started Having the right resources is key to succeeding with your change plan. Enroll your stakeholders — those who will be impacted by your changes. Don’t keep your plan under wraps. Support will increase your likelihood of success. Communicate on a regular basis, and ask for feedback. What’s working well; what needs more attention? Celebrate even the smallest successes. Keep in mind that change is probably as difficult for those in your organization as it is for you. You can follow this process to help you clarify your motivation to make changes in any situation. Change is hard work; sustaining change is harder work. New behaviors need to become an integral part of your professional style. Often used in health psychology, Prochaska and DiClemente’s Stages of Change Model describes how change occurs for any individual relating to any behavior. The model can also be applied successfully in a business context. Stage 1: Pre-contemplation — Being ignorant of the problem and not considering any change in behavior (Validate lack of readiness) Stage 2: Contemplation — Becoming aware of a need for change without any immediate intention to make a change (Evaluate pros and cons of behavior change) Stage 3: Preparation — Having intention and making an effort to change a behavior (Identify obstacles) Stage 4: Action — Actively practicing a new behavior (Implement new behaviors for successful change) Stage 5: Maintenance — Continuing commitment to a new behavior (Plan for follow up support) Stage 6: Relapse — Resumption of old behaviors (Likely, but not inevitable— need to reassess motivation and barriers) As you review your already packed schedule, remember that learning and applying new skills and behaviors will take time and effort. Once mastered, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” Albert Schweitzer Please see LEADERSHIP on page 7 November 2008 1-800-410-8780 ©2008 School-Age NOTES 3 Before and after school, children making time for fitness and fun Programs work to fight growing epidemic of childhood obesity By Michelle K. Owens Three days a week, 50 students at P.S. 5 Elementary School in West New York, New Jersey, choose to go to school early. From 7:15 to 8:15 a.m., these third- through sixth-graders take part in a before-school exercise program led by PE teacher Brian Cooney. The brainchild of Principal Israel Rodriguez, Cooney said he was asked if he’d be interested in running a morning PE class. That was three years ago, and many of the children who started then are still with the program. “The retention is great. The kids that do come stay with it,” Cooney said. Cooney’s program is a member of the Healthy Schools Program, which seeks to improve schools in the areas of nutrition, physical activity and staff wellness. The program was created in 2006 by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation created the Alliance in 2005 in an effort to battle the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. The Alliance believes that helping schools is one of the most efficient and effective ways to shape the lifelong health and well being of children and adolescents. Cooney’s program was one of 43 cited in August by former President Bill Clinton, with West New York P.S. No. 5 earning bronze level recognition for the 2007-2008 school year. Cooney’s program features roughly 50 minutes of activity, such as a jogging club in which the children learned about target heart rates, and Pilates. “Incorporating Pilates works on their core, which helps with balance, strength and agility. This will help them later if they want to play sports,” Cooney said, adding that by relating the exercise to baseball or another activity the children like, they embrace mastering that exercise. On the agenda for Cooney and his program is the electronic game Dance Dance Revolution, in which participants perform steps on a platform as indicated on a computer screen. “I’m dying to crack that open,” Cooney said of the Dance Dance Revolution package. His program received a donation of four arcade and 30 practice dance pads. Another donor gave the program pedometers so the children can measure their steps when walking or running. The program has gotten a lot of support from the community, Cooney said, and parents appreciate it, too. In addition, the benefits of exercise are trickling up at P.S. 5: Cooney said a wellness committee is being created to evaluate what the school needs to increase staff-member wellness. “Now the staff is interested in doing Dance Dance Revolution,” Cooney said. Also recognized by Clinton were Rodney Wayne and W.C. Britt Elementary School in Lawrence, Georgia, which received the bronze level recognition for the 2006-2007 school year. Britt Elementary serves many students who cannot afford the fees associated with traditional after-school programs. Two years ago, Rodney Wayne, the school’s health specialist, decided to give the students an alternative. The result is Wayne’s World Workout, a free, two-month long after-school sports program that takes place at different times during the year. Wayne, who also is a certified PE teacher, volunteers his time because the program is not funded. Students learn games that are not a part of a traditional PE program, such as Ultimate Frisbee. They also learn something called “Wall Soccer,” Wayne’s own creation. “Everyone is active, everyone is participating,” Wayne said. “Yes, they’re exercising and they’re getting in shape, but to the kids, they’re just having fun.” This year, Britt Elementary invited food-service staff members into the classrooms, allowing students to interact with cafeteria staff members outside of the lunchroom. Students learned about the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables and about more healthful ways to prepare foods, for example, baking instead of frying. Students also have the chance to go behind the scenes in the cafeteria to see the food being prepared. The Healthy Schools Program isn’t just for PE teachers. In Orange, New Jersey, school nurse Lynn Jacobs at Cleveland Elementary said she has “always been concerned about the lack of exercise the children get” at her urban school. “The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has helped me see that I could implement changes.” Jacobs sought permission from parents for children to walk in nearby Rosedale Cemetery and the next day she received a remarkable 25 signed consent forms. Jacobs went on to obtain permission from the manager of the cemetery and necessary insurance documents from the board of education before officially starting the Walk for Wellness Club. Since the club began in October 2007, three volunteer staff members have been walking in Rosedale Cemetery with fourth-, fifth- and sixth- grade students twice a week after school for an hour. Excitement has spread, and the club continues to grow. During the walk, students take turns leading the group by following the cemetery map. By doing this they are not only getting exercise, but also building their reading skills. One day they had a Photo by Iris Cooney Brian Cooney, left, leads the before-school PE class participants in the Electric Slide. The hour-long program at P.S. 5 Elementary School in West New York, New Jersey, meets three days a week. Some experts believe that if childhood obesity rates continue to increase, the current generation could become the first generation in U.S. history to live shorter lives than their parents. Please see FITNESS on page 7 December Activities The December Activities and Ideas were written by Megan Russin and Kim Kendall of Humboldt County, Calif. Kim coordinates elementary after-school programs and Megan is a trainer/consultant for after- school professionals. December is often a month that involves giving. This month’s activity page is designed to expand the concept of giving to include service learning. Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. The intent of service learning is that the activity changes the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to self-reflection, self-discovery and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills and knowledge content. Each week, children will have an opportunity to focus on giving to different segments of the population beginning with themselves and building outward toward global giving. How children can help endangered species Make masks and costumes — Based on a picture of an endangered species, have children make a mask or a costume using paper mache, paper bags, construction paper or whatever you can find around the house or in the art room at school. You can even make it a group project or let children work in pairs. When you finish, children can wear their costumes and march in a parade. Be sure to take pictures! Local species research — Research to determine if there are any endangered species in your town. Try to find out what other people in your community are doing for these species. Have children conduct interviews and ask people in the community why they are interested in a species and what they are doing. Make a storybook — Select a single, or many, endangered species that interest you. Do research in your local library and on the Internet to learn more about the species. Determine where they live and why, what they eat, what eats them, who shares their home and why they are endangered. Draw pictures to illustrate your story. Share your storybook with others. Tell others! — Share your new knowledge with others. Tell them about endangered species and explain why they are endangered. Encourage others to learn more about endangered species. Let them know that together, everyone can make a difference. Activities for older youth Service learning can be adapted for all ages. We have included a few ideas for middle- and high-school-age youth: Friends of the beasts — Walk dogs at local animal shelters. Challenge youth to create a marketing tool to help one area of your local community. Kids Council — Learn about your national government and model a Kids Council after it. Kids can hold elections and implement policies within their organization. Help the world — Have a “no paper” day at your program. Have children come up with ideas of activities they could lead that use little or no natural resources. Family safety — Middle and high school students can discuss emergency evacuation plans for their households. They can create a map and information to help all family members be prepared in the event of an emergency. Clay sculptures — Let students showcase their favorite healthy activity by using clay to create a sculpture. They can share their ideas with others. They could also work with younger children to help them create a sculpture. Book covers — Middle or high school art students can design book covers for the elementary students’ textbooks. The book covers can have a pertinent theme, such as school safety or healthful eating habits. Help preschoolers — Middle or high school students can visit local Head Start centers and help the preschoolers with art activities such as finger painting, coloring, etc. Reflection questions By contemplating involvement, kids can better understand their service learning experience and appreciate what they and others are doing to make a difference. What kids think and feel about this experience can be expressed in many ways, including keeping a journal, class discussion and oral presentations. Below is a sampling of reflection questions you could ask at the conclusion of a project: What? •What do I expect to get out of this experience (purpose/goals/ ideals)? • In what way was I of service? • What about myself did I share with others? • What did others share with me? So what? • What am I learning about others and myself? • What did I do that was effective? Why was it effective? • What values, opinions, decisions have been made or changed through this experience? Now what? • Is it important to me to stay involved in the community? • How will my efforts working with this agency contribute to social change • Will I continue to be of service? November 2008 1-800-410-8780 4 ©2008 School-Age NOTES November 2008 1-800-410-8780 ©2008 School-Age NOTES 5 December Calendar of Ideas — Service learning Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Self Healthy snack: Veggie People — Use a variety of cut-up veggies to supply children with creative options for designing a veggie person. Dental hygiene — Call local dental organizations. Ask if someone within the organization can visit your program site and teach children how to clean their teeth. Create a media collage. Collect magazines, newspapers and junk mail. Cut and glue the images on a sheet of cardboard. Add other recycle items to create dimension. Make mosaics. Collect recycle items that are the same shape or color. Glue the materials onto a sheet of cardboard or other surface. Weave plastics. Collect plastic bags or other plastic materials that can be cut into long strips without getting sharp edges. Weave the plastics together. Family Chores (make their own chore chart). Go to: http://www.dltk-cards. com/chart/ for customized chore charts. Make magnets for each family member. Use a bottle cap and glue a round magnet to the smooth side. On the underside cut out and glue in place a picture or word from a magazine that says something nice about that person. Finish by filling up cap with clear drying glue over picture. Keep in touch! Send cards to relatives who live far away. Pre-stamp them and send them home! Educate children on being responsible with pets. Have a Pamper Your Pet Day: Bathe, feed and walk their pet or a friend’s pet. Send home a healthful recipe for children to share with their family. Children can also make a supermarket guide for family shopping trips. Friends Make friendship bracelets. They will use three beads; each represents a good quality about their friend. Make friendship bread. Go to http://www. marthastewart.com and search for Amish Friendship Bread. Cooperative games are a great way to build friendship skills. See http:// www.creativekidsathome. com/games/cooperative_ games/ for ideas. Lead a discussion on conflict resolution. Use role-play to find solutions to common problems. Kids can create a portrait of their friend using mixed media and writing something about them after an interview. Local Community Bake dog biscuits for your local animal shelter. Clean up the program site or a nearby park by picking up trash and planting flowers. Design an award to give to a teacher or program staff member to show appreciation for what he or she does. Take kids to a senior care home and provide entertainment through song, skits and poetry. Have a “warm clothing/ blanket” exchange at your school or program site. Country Plant trees with children and have a discussion of the importance of trees. Provide literature about how your country’s government works. Create a Kids Council to get kids’ voices heard. Let them create policies and vote. Invite a representative from a national organization to your program, the Girl Scouts, for example. Hold a “walk-a-thon” and raise money to give to a cause. World Set up a way for children and youth to communicate with young people from other countries by creating pen pals. Have your program adopt a child from Feed the Children. Go online and take the global footprint quiz to see what your impact on the environment is: http://www.footprintnetwork. org/gfn_sub. php?content=myfootprint Help an endangered species. See the activity page for how children can help. Murals have become a very popular form of art. Students can work with local artists, community groups and the local government to create a mural in their community with an earth-friendly theme. “Children learn to control their body muscles and to refine the physical skills they will use for the rest of their lives. Although these skills are retained during adolescence and adulthood, new skills are not usually acquired. Therefore, it is crucial for children to have many opportunities to learn and practice physical skills” (Korolek et al.,1996, p. 229). Children need physical activity to improve their overall health. In October 1999, the Agriculture Department released a report that revealed a record 10 million American children are overweight and that a record 8 percent are already overweight by preschool age. Exercise develops healthy hearts and lungs, lowers cholesterol and high blood pressure and prevents childhood obesity. Physical activity fuels the brain with a better supply of blood and provides brain cells with a healthier supply of natural substances; these substances enhance brain growth and help the brain make a greater number of connections between neurons (Healy, 1998). This helps children improve their retention of facts and a greater understanding of concepts, which leads to higher achievement. During play children begin to learn about themselves. They learn self-direction and acceptance, responsibility, perseverance and they begin to recognize their own abilities. This is also a time for making friends and building on their social skills and emotional skills. When children are not given the opportunity to develop these interactions with their peers, they might not be able to preserve and continue these relationships. They also can express and work out emotional tension and stress through unstructured play. When adults do not interfere with play, children are much more relaxed. Children learn through play. They develop cognitive and intellectual understanding through hands-on and manipulative activities. “Children can remember more, focus better, and regulate better in play than in any other context” (Guddemi et al., p. 5). When children play with friends, they are able to develop ways to solve problems, see things through others’ point of view, cooperate and share. In a play-based program, parents should be informed that staff members recognize the importance of homework and they understand their concerns. Giving children 30 to 45 minutes of play will increase their willingness to do their homework and will have given their brain a chance to regain its health, resulting in better performance. As adults we sometime strive on pushing ourselves at work to reach our goals for the day. This provides most of us with energy and excitement that is the opposite of a child’s day. For most children, their school day is packed full of rules and regulations and they feel pulled in every direction to do just what the adults tell them to do. They are confined and feel they have no outlet to release their frustrations. Some even get into trouble during class time because they feel there is no other way out. After-school programs provide this outlet for children. Well-trained staff members know what children need and provide this for them through all kinds of play. They know that keeping play non-competitive builds self-esteem and confidence in all children. They are able to offer multiple activities so each and every child has a choice in what will make them feel whole again. Play unites a child’s mind, body and spirit and provides a way for a child to feel complete, even after a busy and stressful day at school. References Guddemi, M., & Jambor. T. (1994) A Right to Play: Proceedings of the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play. Southern Early Childhood Association Lerner, R.M., Peterson, A.C., & Brooks-Gunn, J (Eds.). Encyclopedia of adolescence. Harris, D.V. Exercise and fitness during adolescence. New York: Garland Healy, J. (2204) Your Child’s Growing Mind: Brain Development and Learning from Birth to Adolescence. New York, NY: Random House. Jarrett, O.S. Recess in Elementary School: What Does the Research Say? ERIC Digest. NAEYC, ECE Issues; Early Years Are Learning Years, 1998 http://www.kidsource.com http://www.ipausa.org http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/providers/dev.html Robin Korson is director of Nature’s Nursery School, a program of Green Chimneys (http:// www.greenchimneys.org) in Brewster, NY. She has worked in the child-care field for 22 years. Robin was the first recipient of the School-Age NOTES Quest for Excellence Award in 2006. Play continued from page 1 Photo by Marilyn McKinley Research shows that children learn through play, developing cognitive and intellectual understanding through hands-on activities. implemented and sustained, these skills will increase your effectiveness as well as your productivity. As the leader, change starts with you. Attempting change is a risk; vulnerability increases; things may not be right the first time. “Uncertainty, risk, and mistakes are part of the price we pay for innovation, change, and ultimately learning” (Kouzes & Posner, p. 218). If you want to teach courage and commitment, you must model courage and commitment. Without change you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. Is “the same” good enough for your students, your staff members, your program and you? The bottom line is that effective leaders have the commitment to change and the courage to commit. We would not suggest that you begin a major change in your leadership behavior without offering support during your process. Future articles from the TrineVentures Training Corner will help facilitate your change. Look for leadership skill-building articles on communication, performance coaching, delegation, teambuilding and building initiative. References Chitty, Mike. “Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in the Community.” localenterprise.word press.com. 25 June 2008. 5 Oct. 2008 http://localenterprise.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/cycle-of-change-prochaska-and- diclemente-and-enterprise/ Kouzes, James M. & Posner, Barry Z. The Leadership Challenge. 3rd Ed. Jossey-Bass. Wiley & Sons. San Francisco. 2002. p. 218. “Prochaska and DiClemente’s Stages of Change Model.” UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. 3 Oct. 2008 http://www.cellinteractive.com/ucla/physcian_ed/stages_change.html Zukav, Gary & Francis, Linda. The Mind of the Soul. Simon & Schuster. London. 2004. p. 36. Paula M. Cohen is a communication and business consultant, educator and writer. Susan Taylor is a business management consultant and a reading supervisor K-12. TrineVentures helps organizations meet their communication needs through a variety of programs. Send inquiries to trineventures@hotmail.com. local historian join them who gave them a lesson as they walked. “I enjoy learning about different people that are buried in Rosedale Cemetery,” said one fifth- grader. Some of these people include the Colgate family, Charles Edison (former governor and son of Thomas), and Charles McKim (architect of the Empire State Building). These examples illustrate a major tenet of the Healthy Schools Program’s framework: Reinforcing the link between access to improved nutrition and physical activity beyond regular school hours results in positive engagement and increased academic performance. In alignment with the USDA’s goals for optimal after-school opportunities, the Healthy Schools Program affirms that quality before- and after-school programs provide a nutritious snack and other meals when appropriate, as well as opportunities for physical activity. Any school – public, private or charter – in the country can join the Healthy Schools Program online at no cost. To learn more about the Healthy Schools Program and to find out if there is a program at your local school, call 1-888-KID-HLTH or visit www.HealthierGeneration.org/Schools. Michelle K. Owens is the national before/after- school manager for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. She can be reached at michelle.owens@healthiergeneration.org. Games are fun way to challenge children, engage in physical fitness By School-Age NOTES Staff Incorporating physical activities into your program provides children with more than the physical activity itself. According to David L. Whitaker, author of Games, Games, Games, such activities also offer children a number of skills, such as physical and mental challenges, socials skills and conflict skills. Author Bob Gregson writes in Outrageous Outdoor Games that play offers a challenge “by presenting something which we have never done before.” Whether your program has an indoor or outdoor play space, make a point to schedule a time (each day, if possible) for the children to play. Whitaker encourages play leaders to think of games as having a beginning, middle and end. Success rests on children having “an opportunity to prepare for the activity, do the activity and discuss the activity.” Consider offering one or more of the following games to the children in your program. Snake Dodgeball This game is from Games, Games, Games. It is for 15 to 20 children and you will need a foam soccer ball. This game requires boundaries, an area about the size of a gym. Have all but one of the children form a snake (each child holding on to another from the back). The other child is the snake charmer. The “snake” is on one side of a line and the snake charmer is on the other. The snake charmer attempts to get someone out by throwing the ball at the snake. Children who are hit sit on the sides until there’s only one child left of the snake. That child becomes the snake charmer. If you have more than 20 children in your program, divide the children into two snakes. The child at the head of the line throws the ball at the other snake. If he hits someone, both children go to the end of the snake. A challenge of this game is that the children must work together to stay connected as the snake. Overall Understanding This game is from Outrageous Outdoor Games. It is for any number of players, with the children divided into two even groups. You will need two basketballs or beach balls and an open area. The children form two parallel rows with players standing behind one another. The first player gets a ball and when the leader says “Go” passes it behind her over her head to the next player, who passes it behind him under his legs to the next player, who passes it over her head, and so on. The last player to get the ball runs to the front of the line. This continues until every player has had a chance to be at the front of the row. The first row to do so is the winner. To order Games, Games, Games or Outrageous Outdoor Games, call School-Age NOTES at 1-800-410-8780. To see other games books available, go to www. schoolagenotes.com. Fitness continued from page 3 “Everyone is active, everyone is participating.” Rodney Wayne, W.C. Britt Elementary School, Lawrence, Georgia Leadership continued from page 2 Volume XXIX Issue #3 Nature necessary component to nurture children’s development November 2008 PO Box 476 New Albany, OH 43054 800-410-8780, 614-855-9315 By School-Age NOTES Staff Recent studies have shown that children are leading more sedentary lives. Time that might have been spent playing outside 10 or 15 years ago is now spent watching television, going online and playing video and computer games. This sedentary lifestyle is causing children to lose a connection with nature that previous generations experienced. Called nature-deficit syndrome by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, a movement to get children outdoors and experiencing nature has sprung up across the country. In central Ohio recently, more than 100 educators, students and representatives of state and community organizations attended the Leave No Child Inside collaborative, a grass-roots initiative that has responded to Louv’s work. Keynote speaker Ken Finch, founder of Green Hearts, an Omaha, Nebraska- based organization, advocated the benefits of nature-based play and, specifically, unstructured nature-based play as key to development for children. “Playing outside gives kids a sense of place and community without even meaning to,” he said. “As long as there’s been kids, there’s been nature-based play.” While today’s parents likely grew up playing outside, their fears — real and imagined — have contributed to children’s sedentary lifestyles. According to American Demographics, 56 percent of today’s parents say that by the time they were 10 years old, they were allowed to walk or bike to school. Today, only 36 percent of those same parents would allow their children a similar freedom. Finch recommends three elements for children that after-school professionals can implement in their programs: the right kind of place, the right kind of activity and the right kind of frequency. The right kind of place is any “wild, unregulated space” where children can explore. The right kind of activity is unstructured, open-ended and, most important, outside. The right kind of frequency requires that this unstructured, open-ended outside play takes place as part of “the daily rhythm of life,” Finch said. For after-school programs in more urban areas, Finch said these activities can just as easily take place in a neighboring field as in wide-open woods. Making use of the area in proximity to your program will result in frequency, he said. New studies suggest that exposure to nature may reduce the symptoms of attention-deficit disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Spending time outside can improve cognitive ability, while lack of time outdoors can increase stress and depression. Last month, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced physical activity guidelines. Children and adolescents were encouraged to engage in an hour or more of moderate or vigorous aerobic physical activity a day. Suggested activities, which could be done outside, included hiking, skateboarding, bike riding and running. For information on the Leave No Child Inside initiative, go to http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/info.