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PrintFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Head Start Centers Celebrate Inaugural Take It Outside! Week, October 19-23, 2009
RESTON, VA, September 3, 2009 -- To increase outdoor play while celebrating the environment, early childhood education and care centers are invited to join Head Start Centers across the country in participating in the Inaugural Take It Outside! Week, October 19 – 23, 2009. Presented by Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS), the national initiative is sponsored by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR). Its purpose is to get children outside, connect with the natural world, and increase physical activity.
First Lady Michelle Obama has been invited to join in the festivities. NASPE/AAPAR members and HSBS Master Trainers Clersida Garcia, Meg Greiner, Kristi Mally, Rae Pica, and Steve Stork will join hundreds of other NASPE and AAPAR members who will visit Head Start Centers around the country and participate that week in Take It Outside! activities.
According to Center Director Karin Spencer, Ed.D., “Outdoor play is associated with greater amounts of physical activity in children, and research has shown that opportunities for whole body exercise has a long lasting influence as preschool physical activity tracks throughout childhood.
“Unfortunately children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation,” added Spencer. “We want to help early childhood education and care staff discover the benefits of outdoor play across developmental domains and learn about the features of high quality outdoor play spaces that promote movement opportunities for children of all ability levels. When adults model and teach the importance of physical activity, young children are more likely to adopt a lifetime of healthful practices and behaviors.”
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) recommends that children get a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. To help early childhood programs establish and maintain movement as an integral part of the overall learning process, NASPE has recently published these two new resources. Appropriate Practices in Movement Programs for Children Ages 3-5 and Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children From Birth to Age 5. To order, call 1-800-321-0789, or order online at www.naspeinfo.org.
Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS) is a project of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR), which are associations of the American Alliance for Health, Physical education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Funding for HSBS is provided by the Office of Head Start (OHS), Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services.
The purpose of HSBS is to increase physical activity, outdoor play and healthy eating among Head Start and Early Head Start children, families and staff. HSBS is assisting Head Start programs in creating healthy learning environments, both in and outside the classroom, through structured and unstructured physical activity that leads to the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of young children and reduces obesity and its associated costs.
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Contact:
Kellie May
kmay@aahperd.org
703-476-3454
The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE's 16,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, sport management professionals, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare physical activity professionals. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs through research, development of standards, and dissemination of information. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD).
AAHPERD, an alliance of five national associations, six district associations, and a Research Consortium, provides its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support, and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. It is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, recreation, fitness, dance, health promotion and all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. AAHPERD serves 22,000 members and has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia, 25 miles west of Washington DC. To learn more, visit www.aahperd.org.