BOKS Blog Archives | Page 8 of 9 | Active Kids Active Minds

Best Practices for Implementing Bursts Into the Classroom/Home Environment

You know that feeling when you’ve been sitting for too long and you can’t help but start to fidget and stretch? We’ve all experienced it whether we are stuck in a meeting or lounging on the couch and if we as adults experience it, you better believe it happens to kids in the classroom or at home when having to sit and do homework.

Yet, in today’s world, education and physical activity clash as teachers struggle to utilize every classroom minute to cover required material. At home, parents and kids are juggling so many activities, that enforcing set periods for homework in between work and activity schedules is just as much a challenge. Yet, studies do exist that recognize the fact that getting students moving during gives them better ability to focus and pay attention in class.

As a BOKS Trainer, teacher and parent of three boys, I have had the opportunity to witness the impact physical activity has from many perspectives. There is no doubt that kids need activity breaks during the school day, but they also need breaks at home when they are doing their homework or other sedentary activities. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate more physical activity/Bursts into our childrens’ day:

1. During natural breaks (in the classroom) – Between subjects, BOKS Bursts can be incorporated with students either at their desks or in the aisles next to their desks. Bursts average between 2-5 minutes and can be implemented into any lesson, multiple times a day! Such a short amount of time for such a big benefit!
During a lesson/homework (in the classroom or at home)
- Match a vocabulary list with a movement so when the child defines the word they have to squat, do a jumping jack, etc.
- If you have an alphabet chart, assign an exercise to each letter of the alphabet. When working on vocabulary, the movement can match the beginning letter of the vocabulary word.
- Yes/No – When a child answers “Yes” (jumping jack) or “No” (squat) they will perform the movement.The answers are only allowed with a movement or a verbal cue.

3. Reinforcement of a lesson– Keep 3-4 stations around the room (classroom or place in house where kids do homework) where there are BOKS Burst cards.At designated times, have kids go to a certain station and while they are completing the burst they can quiz each other on the classroom/homework materials.

4. After school – The transition from classroom to home or other after school location is a great time to incorporate a little physical activity.It’s totally normal for kids to want to decompress a bit before starting homework.

Use a BOKS Burst
Quick jog or running activity around the home, driveway, sidewalk. Could be a continuous run, sprints, walk/jog or jumping rope.

5. Snow days/Summertime– Just because school isn’t in session does not mean that the need for physical activity goes away. Kids still need to be active, yet the drive to be in front of a screen (TV, Video Games, Phone, Tablet, etc.), can be quite addictive. Always be mindful of this and incorporate some of these suggestions:

Scavenger Hunts are a fun way to be active. Make a list of things the kids should find. They need to run around and find each item (either inside or out). When they submit their lists they need to do a physical activity with each item they turn in (example: find an item around the house that is bigger than your foot and do 10 squats holding it).
Obstacle courses – create an obstacle course in the house or outdoors. Have kids go through the course as many times as they can, time them, see if they can go faster and beat their own time.
Outdoor play, sledding, fort building, make designs in the yard, create a snow relay

For more ideas be sure to reach out info@bokskids.organd as for our GAMES curriculum or sign up for our free weekly email of BOKS BURSTS: https://activekids.org/enroll-school/boks-burst-weekly-2018-2019/

Inclusive Springtime Games Even the Shy Kids Will Love

Spring has sprung! Now that the weather is getting nicer, it’s time to get the kids outside!!

The reality is, kids spend most of the springtime in school waiting for summer vacation to begin. Much of their outside time is limited to the few minutes of recess they have per day.

When most of us think of recess, we think of kids running around the schoolyard, laughing and engaging with their classmates. For many kids, recess is the best part of their day. For others, who aren’t socially inclined, recess can be overwhelming and isolating.

Often, kids will separate themselves into groups – some all race to the soccer field to kick a ball around or play a game of football or kickball, while some gravitate towards the slide and monkey bars at the play structure. But there are many kids who find the recess bell a stressful moment of deciding what to do and where to position themselves.

This moment is where a teacher, volunteer, or recess monitor can step in and encourage a game that all kids can play regardless of athletic skill. BOKS has a treasure trove of these games available in its Games curriculum, but Toilet Tag is a favorite among BOKS kids! (See below for the full description of the game.)

While games that can include everyone are very engaging, sometimes recess is a time where kids just need a little help with ideas of activities for them to do on their own. A
portable whiteboard (even a foam board) with a list of fun activities can help spur kids’ imaginations. Sometimes all they need is a little nudge to help them create their perfect game with friends. The list could be as simple as creating a fun obstacle course over and around the play structures to a made-up game with hula hoops and cones. Giving kids different options at recess can make it more enjoyable (and less of a source of stress) for a child.

Have anything unique your students or children like to do at recess? We love hearing about your favorite activities! Leave a comment on our Facebook post telling us all about their favorite game!

Toilet Tag

When playing toilet tag, or any tagging game for that matter, there are two big things to keep in mind when monitoring the game. First, it’s important to define the playing space with some sort of marker, like cones, so the kids understand the boundaries of the play area.

Second, make sure the kids are all on the same page about how to tag eachother! BOKS guidelines suggest the “two-finger” tag, always around the shoulder area. This minimizes the chances of anyone getting hurt!

For Toilet Tag, have 3-5 kids be the taggers (depending on the size of the group), and the rest as the players. When a kid gets tagged, they go into a squatting position and raise one arm up in the air to resemble a toilet with a lever.

The rest of the group that has yet to be tagged can run to the kids that are in the “toilet” position and “un-tag” them to get back in the game by “flushing” their toilets. This is a simple fun game that anyone can enjoy and have fun with.

Format: Divide kids by color groups

Materials: Pinnies for taggers

Set Up: kids spread out across gym

Object: Don’t get tagged, flush team mates.

Details:

Choose a few kids to be the “taggers” and have them wear a pinnie.
Kids run around the gym trying not to be tagged.
When tagged, squat down like on the toilet with 1 arm up.
When a kid on same team “flushes” (pushes the arm down), the kid is back in the game.
Alternate taggers every 2 minutes.
Keep playing until time runs out, maximum 5 – 10 minutes.
Have kids make a flushing sound when their arm is pushed if desired.

The Big Impact Small Bursts of Activity Can Have On Your Health

It’s hard to believe that Spring is finally here!

We’ve moved the clocks forward, have that long awaited extra hour of daylight, and now we’re anticipating warmer weather. While it seems like this time of year should be much easier to squeeze in those 60 minutes of recommended daily physical activity, it’s also the time of year when our calendars start filling up with endless events and commitments. And we all know that when life feels too busy, physical activity often takes a back seat.

So how do we get everything done and still find time to move?!

Good news! There is a steady flow of research that has found that even a few short bursts of exercise throughout the day can add up and be just as beneficial as getting those 60 minutes in all at once.

According to an article in the New York Times, these short bursts of exercise may help us feel happier. It states that “people who work out even once a week or for as little as 10 minutes a day tend to be more cheerful than those who never exercise”. Another article supporting the benefits of short bouts of exercise appeared in Science Daily titled, “Short bouts of stairclimbing throughout the day can boost health.” This article covers a recent McMaster University study which found just a few active bursts of stair-climbing throughout the day can improve cardiovascular health. The findings, published in the Journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, imply that almost anyone can improve their fitness, anywhere, any time. “The findings make it even easier for people to incorporate ‘exercise snacks’ into their day,” says Martin Gibala, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster and senior author on the study.

These appropriately named “exercise snacks” are a great alternative to the all or nothing approach. And while stair-climbing is a fantastic way to get moving throughout the day, there are a number of movements that are just as accessible – perhaps more fun!

BOKS Bursts are our own version of exercise snacks created for kids and designed to provide a few minutes of fun moderate to vigorous activities that can be done in small spaces, as individuals, partners or groups at any time during the day.

There are so many ways to get moving and have fun even when you are feeling crunched for time!

Classroom teachers everywhere are seeing the benefits of BOKS Bursts as a way to not only deliver more activity but also as a tool to boost grades, increase focus and help improve behavior. Parents are also finding ways to incorporate Bursts at home:

“My kids see me working out at home, so they think it’s fun to have their own little workout they can do alongside me. They’re short and doable, and they love it! In a world where we have so much screen time, physical activity like this is so important.” Says Krysten Zarembski, @fitandhealthymomlife on Instagram, who loves what the BOKS program offers her family.

Pictured: Krysten, @fitandhealthymomlife, with her kids enjoying a BOKS game outside.

By getting kids active for a few minutes throughout the day, it may help minimize screen time or get kids moving indoors when they can’t play outside.

Being active shouldn’t feel like a chore, especially for kids. Finding ways to add more movement throughout the day can be easy. Try the following activity with your kid(s) and let us know how it goes. Maybe you’ll even break a little sweat!

Hurdle Hops, Squats, Fast Feet
1. 15 seconds of hopping side to side over a pretend hurdle
2. 5 Squats
3. 15 seconds of hopping front to back over a pretend hurdle
4. 5 squats
5. 15 seconds of Fast feet (like a football player)
6. 5 squats
7. Repeat for 2 minutes

For more fun activities like this, sign up to receive our FREE weekly BOKS Burst email HERE.

Trainer Spotlight: Sam Lenson, UMaine

One of the amazing things about BOKS is that our trainers come from all walks of life, bringing a wide range of experiences to the programs that they run. One of these trainers, Sam Lenson, brings a fresh perspective to BOKS in his community by involving students and athletes from his alma mater, The University of Maine, in his program. Sam is an active member of our Trainer Facebook Community, so we were excited to catch up with him and feature him as this month’s Trainer Spotlight:

Sam (Center) and Volunteers with their BOKS Class

Sam started the BOKS program in his community this Fall while working on his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Maine, after completing a degree in Kinesiology and Physical Education (K-12).

“In pursuit of my graduate degree, I found myself missing the in-person interaction with kids that I got to experience during my undergraduate studies,” Sam told us.

After hearing about the BOKS program from his family in Natick, Massachusetts, Sam decided that if he could bring BOKS to a nearby school, he could exercise his passion, continue his hands-on learning, and give back to the community surrounding his university.

Sam reached out and met with the curriculum coordinator for his local public–school to get their support and begin the BOKS curriculum. Since then, Sam has worked to grow the BOKS program. He now has every student at his local K-2 school enrolled in BOKS.

Sam thought his collegiate peers would experience the same joy and learning he did at his school, so he recruited a handful of students from a Family Interactions undergraduate class to accompany him on school trips. Soon, Sam had a team of dedicated volunteers who, despite the early wake up call, love visiting the school and sharing their love of fitness with the kids.

“The wonderful volunteers I have make it such an enjoyable experience for the kids to come to school every day. This program would not be possible without them,” said Sam.

But UMaine’s involvement with BOKS didn’t stop there. Sam had the innovative idea to include current student-athletes from UMaine in the BOKS program.

Students from the cheer squad, hockey team, football team and sorority organizations have become mini-celebrities to the kids participating in BOKS and set a great example when it comes to the importance of physical activity on our daily lives.

Sam (Left) with the UMaine Football Team, Volunteers, and BOKS Class

“Regardless of where you are, all kids need to be active. They’re not getting enough activity during the day. If you have an opportunity to impact student’s lives through teaching them functional fitness that they can use for the rest of their lives, that was motivation for me to do something,” added Sam.

Getting involved as a BOKS trainer in college is a wonderful way to expand your own learning about youth fitness and development and make a positive impact on your community. Sam and his volunteers found that 3 morning visits per week fit perfectly into their schedules and enjoy getting some time off campus. For more information on becoming a BOKS trainer, please visit our website here or email info@bokskids.org for more information!

Treats for A Heart-Healthy Valentine’s Day

As February rolls around, so does another few weeks of sugar-filled snacking. As much fun as those little heart-candies are (especially when they send a loving message to you or your kids), it is no surprise that they offer little nutritional value (other than packing in lots of extra sugar).

Most Valentine’s Day treats follow suit, making it tough for parents to know what to allow and what to avoid on this loving holiday. This year, the BOKS team decided to help out and pull together a list of alternatives to those pre-packaged sweets.

These delicious treats are not only tasty but great for you and your family’s heart:

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries
1. Chocolate may get a bad “rap” from the processed candies that are often stuck inside Valentine’s Day grams at school. However, dark chocolate offers a number of health benefits, including the potential to lower the risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure.
  1. For a sweet swap, try picking up some ripe strawberries from your local market. Wash and dry the berries.
  2. Melt some quality dark-chocolate in a double boiler (or in small increments in the microwave to prevent burning).
  3. Coat the berries in the melted chocolate, and set on a sheet of wax paper to dry. Put in the fridge or freezer so the chocolate cools and then enjoy!

Frozen Yogurt Berry Bark
1. Berries are incredibly nutrient dense and a great source of vitamins. Different berries offer a multitude of health benefits, but some of our favorites are blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and Gogi Berries. Try making them into a frozen yogurt bark for a cool treat that satisfies a sweet tooth and a snack craving. The protein and healthy fat in this recipe make this simple treat a perfect healthy swap!
  1. Mix 2 cups of plain Greek yogurt with a bit of light sweetening of your choice: Try ¼ cup of agave, honey, jam, or maple syrup.
  2. Transfer yogurt to a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and spread to an even thickness
  3. Top with berries as your heart desires! Layer strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or gogi berries of your choice over the yogurt. Have fun and be creative with the type of berries you use to create your favorite flavors.
  4. Top with a little bit of crunch. Walnuts are a great heart-healthy option, or opt for shredded coconut (just make sure you use unsweetened to avoid the extra sugar) or coconut chips.
  5. Once your toppings are complete, throw in the freezer for a few hours until hardened. Break apart and enjoy!

Homemade Gummy Candy
1. For the more experienced or adventurous chefs, try your hand at making your own gummy candy! It’s much easier than it seems and can be customized to your flavor preferences. What may be a surprise is that gelatin can offer a few health benefits on its own. It may support the digestive system and gut health, help maintain strong bones, and potentially improve sleep! See proportions and complete recipe here.
  1. All you need for this: fruit puree of your choice, honey, and gelatin.
  2. After making fruit puree of choice, add honey and gelatin to a saucepan with the puree. Stir the mixture on low until incorporated.
  3. Pour into heart-shaped silicone molds (or whatever tray/mold you have handy) and place in the fridge for at least two hours. Bon appétit!

Raspberry Gummies

BOKS Shoe Design Delivery Day!

Back in July, we held our very first BOKS Shoe Design Contest. The contest challenged kids to design their very own Reebok shoe and the winner of the contest received the opportunity to bring their shoe to life. After a company-wide evaluation of thousands of submissions from across the country, Emma from the Grace Academy in Maryland, was announced our winner.

Emma’s original design won over the hearts of our designers with the simple rainbow detailing and smooth transition between the different shades.

At the time, Emma’s school did not have a BOKS class, but she had attended BOKS with her Aunt (Lead Trainer Sarah Spelman at Springfield Elementary) and entered the contest with her class.

Before the delivery day, Emma, her Aunt Sarah, and cousin Colby all came to visit Reebok HQ to give some insight into her design process and talk about BOKS. When
what her inspiration was, Emma said, “I was just thinking anything rainbow and was going to draw a rainbow on the side but didn’t like that, so I went with the shading.” Emma continued, “I wouldn’t change anything [on the shoe], I think they’re perfect!”

With a little help from our kids footwear team Emma’s shoe (pictured below) went from a drawing to a real shoe.

Emma’s cousin Colby, who has been a part of the BOKS program in Springfield for a few years, added that he thinks BOKS and physical activity is important, “because some kids stay on their electronics too much,” and emphasized that everyone
should do BOKS before school.

Fast forward to December, and we Emma’s shoes to her Aunt’s BOKS class in Springfield, MA. The BOKS kids were ecstatic to receive new shoes and put them on immediately before class. One of the kids explained how it was the first pair of new shoes they ever owned. We were so happy to provide Springfield Elementary BOKS students with new shoes to motivate them to stay active!

Inspired by the BOKS program and all of the students in her Aunt’s class, Emma and her Mom are bringing BOKS to Grace Academy for the Fall of 2019. We shipped the winning shoes to Emma’s class at the Grace Academy to make sure everyone is outfitted in BOKS gear for the start of the program in the Fall. Emma added, “Everyone’s been talking about BOKS because we got new shoes and I told them about BOKS in Massachusetts!”

Stay tuned for the next BOKS shoe design contest and maybe you could bring brand new Reebok shoes to your BOKS class!

Winter weather keeping kids indoors? Try yoga for both exercise and calm.

As the days get shorter and snow begins to fall over many parts of the world, activities are corralled indoors. As much fun (and great exercise) a good snow-ball fight can be, many days after school and on weekends will limit the breadth of exercise both you and your kids can get. This is where the practice of yoga comes in as a great way to get everyone moving and breathing, as well as calm some cabin-fever energy that can get the best of the restless kid in all of us. Image result for kids yoga

We have all heard of the benefit that yoga can have on busy adult lives, but according to a Harvard Health article, “Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits for children as well. A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children.” Image result for kids yoga

Flowing through an entire practice can be difficult for kids, but luckily there are many other ways to incorporate the practice of yoga into every day life. Kids yoga games are a great way for little ones to learn different postures, as well as understand the disciplines of breathing and mindfulness. Here are some ways you can get kids to practice yoga, perfect for a snowy day in the classroom or at home in the living room:

Yoga Red Light Greed Light – One person is chosen as the Stoplight. He or she stands at the front of the room. The other players are the “cars,” and they start at the opposite wall. The Stoplight starts the game by calling “Green light!” The other players then use yoga poses to move forward. When the Stoplight calls “Red light!,” each player needs to be in a yoga pose and remain still. Everyone takes a turn being the Stoplight.
Yoga Pose Play – Have kids strike yoga poses that remind them of elements of the winter weather outside. Kids can get creative with poses that remind them of wintery elements such as a frozen pond, a snowflake, a raindrop, or a snow-covered tree.
Winter Mindfulness and Gratitude – This great exercise can be practiced anywhere, not limited to indoor playtime. Especially great first thing in the morning or last thing before bed, practicing mindfulness and gratitude can set everyone on the path for a day of less stress and more patience. With kids, make a list of things they are grateful for in the wintertime. Some examples can be fun activities like playing in the snow, delicious hot chocolate, or spending time with family over winter break. More on the benefits of gratitude can be read in our gratitude blog post, found here.
And for more ideas, sign up for our weekly BOKS Burst where we always include one of our simple Yoga & Mindfulness activities that we co-created with Tara Stiles, Founder of Strala Yoga in NYC. These movements were designed to activate the body’s relaxation response by breathing deep, matching your breath and body together, and moving your whole body in harmony with itself. These activities are perfect for kids of all ages.

Healthy Holiday Treats to Make with Kids

The holidays are a wonderful time to enjoy good food with friends and family, but between the eggnog and Christmas cookies, sometimes we can feel a little overloaded with sugar. Pizza gets a bad reputation sometimes, but if you make it at home, it’s actually not as unhealthy as we might think!

These holiday pizzas are a savory twist on the traditional Christmas cookie and are super fun and versatile. Let the kids decorate away and serve as an appetizer, dinner, lunch, snack—or even breakfast!

What you’ll need:

Pizza dough (pre-made or make your own)
Pizza sauce – red sauce and/or pesto
Shredded cheese
Large cookie sheets
Fun shaped cookie cutters
Spray oil
Toppings:
- Sliced peppers, olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, onions, basil, parsley, tomatoes etc.

Step 1:Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll or stretch the dough out in a long thing sheet. This is the toughest part because you want the dough to hold its shape when you cut it into a shape. Choose a large cookie cutter with fewer corners, such as a Christmas tree shape. Cut the dough into shapes and lay flat on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.

Step 2: Pre-bake the pizza shapes at 350 for about 8 minutes or so. The dough will start to puff up and gain some structure, but don’t burn or brown. Pre-baking the dough will help the shapes withstand all the decorating attention.

Step 3: Let the shapes cool, then call in the decorators! Kids love piling on all the toppings and playing with different shapes and colors. Bring the oven temp up to about 425 degrees.

Step 4：Bake the little pizzas for about 15 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like the cheese. After they cool for a couple minutes, dig in!

How To Utilize Older Students as Junior Trainers

As the BOKS Training and Program Manager, a large part of my job is to train new people to run BOKS. I have trained physical education professionals and parents who are passionate about bringing physical activity to their kids’ schools. The parents, which arguably make up the vast majority of our BOKS trainers, may not come from a fitness or teaching background. With this lack of experience or knowledge in how to run a program such as BOKS, come challenges, especially when it comes to the older students who may be more difficult to engage. This leads to quite a few questions regarding how to keep older kids focused and more involved especially when your BOKS class has kids ranging from kindergarten to 6^thgrade.

Thankfully, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many trainers who have not only come to “Advanced Trainer” workshops but have also spent time with me when I’ve visited their schools. From those interactions and speaking with these trainers on ideas they have implemented, I’ve come up with a top 5 list of tips on how to actively involve older BOKS participants.

Match them up with the younger students to act as buddies/mentors.This is a positive connection for both the younger student, who will now have a “role model”, as well as the older student, allowing them to feel more important and responsible in the BOKS class.
Give them responsibilities for certain segments of the class.For instance, 2 students are in charge of getting the cones set up for BOKS corners, while another 2 are responsible for putting them away.
Have them choose BOKS kid(s) of the week. They can take 2 minutes at the end of each week to talk over who they think deserves the award and announce it in front of the class (of course the trainer can have input as well).
At the beginning of the session have them lead a quick brainstorm to come up with “BOKSpectations.” This could include listening to the lead trainer when he/she is speaking, respect for your other BOKS classmates, or encouraging others throughout class.
Depending on the number of older participants, have them pair up and come up with a lesson plan that they can run on a future given date. Last spring, I had the opportunity to visit Potter Road Elementary in Framingham, MA. The BOKS trainers were quite serious about establishing a “Junior Leadership program.” They held sessions outside of BOKS time to work with the older kids to talk about leadership and how to run a class. The kids came up with their own lesson plans which they drew out. Towards the end of the session, the kids had their own day to run the class. From experience, the comments from the kids were overwhelmingly positive. They had gained a greater appreciation for the trainers running the classes.

For more information on how to get older kids involved, check out our Live with Laura: Junior Trainersvideo on YouTube!

Written by Laura Burati, BOKS Program and Training Manager

BOKS and the Rise in Cost of Competitive Sports

A recent article published in the Washington Post, highlights the dropping participation in youth sports. Yes, this can be attributed to the rising inactivity in American children, however, one reason more and more kids are not participating in sports can be blamed on the cost. These high prices of competitive sports are actually keeping kids from participating, especially those from low income households.

Gym Class Trauma To quote Lisa Delpy Neirotti, associate professor at George Washington University, “If we’re really looking at being more inclusive and healthier society, we should probably get these kids playing together more out on the field – everybody, not just certain populations that can afford it.” With this exclusiveness, comes the “up or out” participation mentality, as experts call it. Competitive travel sports teams can cost up to thousands of dollars to join.

These teams have trickled down to younger age groups, taking the top, most talented athletes. While this is great for those who are chosen, the children who are left behind develop a mentality that the sport is not for them. Their outlook on team sports, in general, can be skewed due to this exclusiveness, thus causing a drop in sports participation altogether.

According to data from the Aspen Institute, in 2008, 45% of children ages 6 to 12 participated in a team sport regularly. Now, only 37% do. Former NBA player, Bob Bigelow, calls the participation drop, “a story of the haves and have-nots in youth sports in America.” Aspen experts state that American youth sports have ‘reshaped’ over the years, turning into a hypercompetitive, expensive atmosphere that forces parents and coaches to prioritize winning and elite skill development – even before children are ready for it.

Aspen data goes on to show that the number one reason children want to play sports is not winning, but rather the desire to be with friends. Coaches say that a large reason of why children drop team sports, specifically recreational sports at a young age, is because they could not be with their friends or are not on the same team as their friends. This is evident in youth soccer, where participation has dropped 9.5% over one year due to a U.S. Soccer Federation rule change that grouped kids by birth year rather than school grade.

With the decrease in youth sports participation being directly linked to exclusivity and cost, a logical supplement would be a free fitness program. These statistics highlight the importance of a program like BOKS, where we aim to serve every kid, in every area. It is a free and inclusive program that is accessible to any school, household, or community center.

Gym Class Trauma BOKS strives to provide every child with the opportunity to exercise and play, regardless of talent level. BOKS is centered around non-competitive, inclusive play that aims to develop physical literacy and fitness skills that children can use for the rest of their life. At BOKS, no child will be excluded. Every child will have the opportunity to participate in an environment that encourages teamwork.

While BOKS is unique in that everything we offer is completely free once a school or community center is enrolled, we’d like to share a few other resources to get your heart rate up and become a healthier you!

At home exercises – check out YouTube for step by step videos that you and your kids can do together. Getting active to a “healthy level” doesn’t require any equipment, nor does it require a lot of time! Check out the BOKS Canada YouTube page for a few videos or sign up for our FREE Burst Activities (5 fun activities emailed to you each Sunday)!
Bring BOKS to your local community center – Connect with staff at your local community health clinic to bring our free program to their facility.
Free Community Yoga Classes – In many cities, there are free yoga classes that are open to anyone and everyone in the community.
Go for a daily walk or run – the idea is just to get your body moving! Go for a couple mile walk, park far away from your destination, and take the stairs. The little activities throughout the day will add up.

If you are interested in enrolling your school in the BOKS program, sign up here!