The Telethon Kids Institute has created the Play Active Program which contains a physical activity policy to assist services in putting their policy into practice.
Early childhood and school-age education and care services play an important role in providing opportunities for children to be active and to set up good habits around physical activity.
Play Active Policy
The Play Active Physical Activity Policy provides clear guidance on the amount of physical activity and sedentary time (including screen time) young children should have whilst attending ECEC. The policy outlines procedures to enable successful implementation of the policy.
- The policy says about the clear guidance on the amount of physical activity and sedentary time children should need to have while having childhood education and care.
- The policy also said that the training and resource support help services implement their policy. They also talked about better equipment to incorporate their policy into action.
- They also promoted healthy eating habits and appropriate physical activity that are needed for the overall development of children.
- The policy will enable services to be better equipped to meet the Australian National Quality Standards - Quality Area 2.1.3: ‘Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child’.
Linking Physical Development To EYLF 0 - 5 Years - Here is a brief overview of ways in which physical development in the first five years can be linked to EYLF. Physical development includes not just the increase in length, height and weight of the child but also the size of organs as well as the development of various reflexes, motor skills, sensations and perceptions.
Physical activity plays a critical role in children’s holistic health, learning and skills development, but the fact is that many Australian children are not getting the daily recommended amount of physical activity and energetic play. It has been mentioned in the government guideline of Australia that children aged one to five years should be getting at least three hours of physical activity per day, including one hour of energetic ‘huff and puff’ play to three to five-year-olds.
For more information and to view: Play Active Program
