Grade by Grade
B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Moving and Playing Safely

Moving for Fun Every Day

B1 A1About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can name lots of different ways to be active.
  • I can say what makes moving fun for me.
  • I can find ways to be active every day, at school, at home and in my community.
  • I can keep trying when a new activity feels hard.

Words to know

physical activity
Moving your body in a way that uses energy, like running, dancing, skating or climbing.
active
Moving your body instead of sitting still for a long time.
enjoy
To like doing something and have fun doing it.
community
The places near your home where people live, work and play, like the park, the pool and the rink.
keep trying
Not giving up when something is hard. Each try helps you get better.

Let's get moving!

Stand up. Wiggle your fingers. Shake your arms. Now jump up and down 5 times. 🦘

How do you feel? Maybe a bit warmer? Maybe a bit happier? You just did physical activity!

Physical activity means moving your body. There are so many ways to do it!

  • You can move by yourself, like skipping rope or riding a bike.
  • You can move with a partner or a small group, like playing tag or tossing a ball.
  • You can move to music, like dancing.
  • You can move outside in every season, like sledding in winter or swimming in summer.
Families sliding down a snowy hill on sleds in a park on a sunny winter day.
Sledding is one way to be active outside in winter. What ways do you like to move in each season? AI-generated image
🚲⛸️🛷💃🏊⚽🤸🥾
Biking, skating, sledding, dancing, swimming, soccer, tumbling and hiking are all ways to be active.

What makes moving fun?

Different people enjoy different things. That's okay! Some things that make being active fun are:

  • playing with friends or family
  • trying something new
  • moving to music
  • being outside in nature
  • feeling proud when you get better at something
Where?Ways to be active
At schoolrecess games, gym class, walking to the bus, playground climbing
At homedancing in the kitchen, helping rake leaves, shovelling snow with a grown-up, playing tag in the yard
In my communitythe park, the swimming pool, the skating rink, a walk on a trail, a toboggan hill
You can be active in many places, every day.
Worked example

Let's plan an active day together

It is a snowy Saturday. Ava wants to be active in the morning, the afternoon and the evening. What could she do?

  1. Think about where Ava will be. Morning at home, afternoon outside, evening at home again.
  2. Morning at home: she can put on music and do a dance party with her little brother. 💃
  3. Afternoon outside: it snowed, so she can build a snow fort or go sledding at the park with a grown-up. 🛷
  4. Evening at home: she can play a game of "Simon Says" with her family before bed.
  5. Check: Did she find a way to move each time? Yes! Did she pick things she enjoys? Yes!

Ava can dance in the morning, go sledding or build a snow fort in the afternoon and play Simon Says in the evening. She was active three times in one day, and she had fun!

Worked example

Let's keep trying together

Noah is learning to skip with a rope. He keeps tripping. He feels frustrated and wants to quit. What can he do?

  1. Name the feeling: "I feel frustrated." Naming a feeling helps us handle it.
  2. Take a calm breath: breathe in slowly through the nose, and out slowly through the mouth.
  3. Tell himself something kind: "I can't do it yet. I am still learning."
  4. Try a smaller step: first jump over the rope while it lies still on the ground. Then try swinging it slowly.
  5. Ask for help: a grown-up or friend can show him how.

Noah can name his feeling, breathe, say "not yet", try a smaller step and ask for help. Every try makes him a little better.

The power of "yet"

When something is hard, add the word yet.

"I can't catch a ball" becomes "I can't catch a ball yet."

Your body learns by practising, just like your brain does.

1 Name thefeeling2 Take a calmbreath3 Say"not yet"4 Try asmaller step5 Ask forhelpGetting better!
Noah's steps for when something feels hard. Each try takes him one step higher, until he can do it.

A game from long ago that people still play

Lacrosse is a ball game played with a stick that has a net on the end. It was first played by Indigenous peoples in North America, long before it came to the rest of the world. Many First Nations communities still play it today, and lacrosse is one of Canada's national sports.

Just for fun

Why are snowmen so good at winter games?

Because they always keep their cool! ⛄

Hands-on activity

My Fun Moves chart

You need: paper, crayons.

  1. Fold your paper into 3 parts. Write or draw: School, Home, Community.
  2. In each part, draw one way you like to be active there.
  3. Choose one activity from your chart and do it today for a few minutes with a grown-up.
  4. Put a ⭐ beside the one you enjoyed most.

Talk about it: "Why was that one the most fun for you?"

Your turn

1

Name three ways you could be active outside in the winter.

2

Name one way to be active by yourself and one way to be active with others.

3

Is sitting and watching a movie for a long time physical activity?

4

Tell a grown-up one thing that makes moving fun for you.

5

Name one place in your community where you can be active.

6

Your friend says, "I'm bad at hopping. I give up." What could you say to help?

7

Do it and check: Do a 1-minute dance party to a song you like.

More practice: warm-up

1

Is riding a bike physical activity? Yes or no?

2

Is colouring a picture physical activity? Yes or no?

3

Name one way to be active at recess.

4

Name one way to be active in the summer.

5

Do it and check: Do 10 big arm circles.

More practice: on your own

1

Mia loves music. Which activity might she enjoy most: dancing, reading or puzzles? Why?

2

Leo does not like busy games, but he loves nature. Suggest an activity for him.

3

Name one household job that is also physical activity.

4

Why is it good to try lots of different activities?

5

It is raining and you can't go outside. Name two ways to be active indoors.

Challenge

1

Plan an active day: give one activity for before school, at school and after school.

2

Sam tried skating once, fell down and said he hates skating. What could help Sam enjoy it more?

3

Why might two friends enjoy different activities? Is that okay?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which of these is physical activity?

2.

Which is a way to be active in the winter?

3.

Ella can't do a cartwheel. What is a helpful thing for her to say?

4.

Which place in the community is good for being active?

5.

What is one thing that can make being active more fun?

6.

Lacrosse was first played by...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The Grade 1 curriculum wants children to take part in many kinds of activity, to notice what they enjoy, and to find ways to be active every day at school, at home and in the community. Enjoyment is the goal, not winning or being "good at sports".

How to help at home:

  • Be active together in short bursts: a dance party after dinner, a walk to the mailbox, a snowball target game.
  • Let your child choose sometimes. Choice builds enjoyment.
  • Praise effort and trying ("You kept trying even when it was tricky!") more than skill.

Common difficulties:

  • "I'm bad at it." Model the word yet, and break a skill into smaller steps.
  • Comparing to others. Remind your child that everyone learns at their own speed.
  • Thinking only sports count. Chores, walking, dancing and playground play all count as physical activity.

This lesson also practises social-emotional skills (strand A): naming feelings like frustration, staying motivated and persevering.