1. School Health
  2. Physical Activity

Physical Activity

Providing children and youth with ways to be active and educating them about the importance of physical activity and limiting of sedentary behaviour is important to help them develop skills and knowledge to allow them to make healthier choices.

In Ontario, according to the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS, 2021), half of students (50.7%) rate their physical health as excellent or very good. One-in-five (19.8%) rate their physical health as fair or poor. Only one-in-five students met the recommended daily physical activity guidelines (a total of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day).

With only one-in-five students meeting the physical activity guidelines, the amount of time students are spending sedentary is an issue. Over three quarters of students spend three or more hours per day of their free time in front of a screen (OSDUHS, 2021). This is over the recommended ‘no more than two hours of recreational scree’ time from Canada’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth.  

Using the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School framework, schools, school boards, parents and community partners can work together to develop healthy school environments that promote and support student well-being.

Physical activity resources and supports are organized below following this framework.

Resources & Information for:

  • Ophea- 50 Fitness Activity Cards (French): developed to support educators teaching Grades 1 through 12 to use for DPA or an active break during learning. 
  • Ophea- Beyond the Walls Activities for the Outdoors (French): developed to support educators teaching Grades 1 through 12 in using outdoor spaces safely and effectively for physical activity across the school day. This resource provides opportunities for students to observe, explore, and appreciate nature as they reflect on the benefits of being physically active outdoors all year long.
  • DPA Everyday: Resource to support DPA in the classroom and at home for grades 1-8. 
  • Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada): ideas for school activities grades JK to 12 as well as resources for staff training courses (e-learning, webinars.)
  • School Physical Activity Physical Literacy: provides educators with 700+ games and 100+ lesson plans for Grades K- 7 (registration required).
  • Video Games – Lesson plan from Mediasmarts.ca, which uses reflection and debate to help students assess their video game use and how it can have positive and negative effects on mental health and physical activity.  French.
  • Ophea- Healthy Schools Certification: gives your school the tools to promote and enhance the health and well-being of students, school staff, and the broader school community. Contact your schools nurse for more information on how they can support your school in achieving a Healthy Schools Certification.
  • Ophea- Ideas for Action Physical Activity  (French Version): Can be used alone or with the OPHEA Healthy School Certification process to support about physical activity. This guide provides key information about existing programs and resources, tips for getting started, things to consider, sources of support in your community, in Ontario, and across Canada. Click on the links below for various physical activity ideas for at school and home:  
  • Ophea- Raise the Bar Intramural program: an easy-to-follow 4-step process for educators and gives you access to tools and resources to plan and run quality, inclusive, and sustainable intramurals.
  • FITSPIRIT – Use the tools and resources to encourage teenage girls to be physically active.  
  • Ontario Active School Travel Winter Walk Day: Schools across Ontario can celebrate with special events on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, or throughout the month. Ontario Active School Travel is excited to be bringing back school registrations this year! We encourage schools to participate by promoting walking and wheeling to school and organizing winter-themed walking events. Register your schools celebration activities and events!
  • Ontario Active School Travel- Bike to School Week: is a celebration of the journey to school by two (or three!) wheels that takes place annually during the last week of May. This year, Bike to School Week will be celebrated from May 29 - June 2, 2023.

Healthy learning environments can positively influence a student’s ‘cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.’  Physical activity can be encouraged through safe physical and social environments and can be address through the maintenance of play equipment, ongoing schoolyard upkeep, safe schoolyard terrain, sun safe outdoor spaces for learning, accessibility, development of inclusive clubs and intramural sports teams, and more.

  • WECHU- Active Safe Routes to School Toolkit: This toolkit contains information on school travel planning, including:
    • Common barriers to school active travel and ways to address them.
    • A step-by-step process for school travel planning.
    • Key resources to use throughout the process.
  • Physical and Health Education Canada- Access to Action Grant Program: Access this grant to support before, during, and after school inclusive sport programing for youth.
  • The Recess Project: provides a guide to redesigning recess to a space where all forms of play and socialization can take place. Explains how to turn your schoolyard and recess time into a space that supports meaningful social interactions, empathy, inclusion, and acceptance.

Grants

  • PHE Canada- Access to Action Grant Program: is funded by Sport Canada and focuses on empowering school communities to provide inclusive and meaningful sport and physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school.  Grants up to $20,000 are available to schools and/or community organizations for projects that engage school aged children and youth with a focus on young people of equity-deserving populations. Application Period for the 2022-2023 school year: October 6, 2022 - February 28, 2023
  • OFSAA- Try Day Grant: an opportunity for secondary school to earn a grant for up to $700 to introduce a new or non-traditional sport or physical activity to your school program in the. Select an activity that will motivate your students and get them moving again. Give other students the opportunity to exercise their leadership ability.

Grants

  • PHE Canada- Access to Action Grant Program: is funded by Sport Canada and focuses on empowering school communities to provide inclusive and meaningful sport and physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school.  Grants up to $20,000 are available to schools and/or community organizations for projects that engage school aged children and youth with a focus on young people of equity-deserving populations. Application Period for the 2022-2023 school year: October 6, 2022 - February 28, 2023
  • OFSAA- Try Day Grant: an opportunity for secondary school to earn a grant for up to $700 to introduce a new or non-traditional sport or physical activity to your school program in the. Select an activity that will motivate your students and get them moving again. Give other students the opportunity to exercise their leadership ability.

  • Ontario Active School Travel Winter Walk Day: Schools across Ontario can celebrate with special events on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, or throughout the month. Ontario Active School Travel is excited to be bringing back school registrations this year! We encourage schools to participate by promoting walking and wheeling to school and organizing winter-themed walking events. Register your schools celebration activities and events!
  • Ontario Active School Travel- Bike to School Week: is a celebration of the journey to school by two (or three!) wheels that takes place annually during the last week of May. This year, Bike to School Week will be celebrated from May 29 - June 2, 2023.

Grants

  • PHE Canada- Access to Action Grant Program: is funded by Sport Canada and focuses on empowering school communities to provide inclusive and meaningful sport and physical activity opportunities before, during, and after school.  Grants up to $20,000 are available to schools and/or community organizations for projects that engage school aged children and youth with a focus on young people of equity-deserving populations. Application Period for the 2022-2023 school year: October 6, 2022 - February 28, 2023
  • OFSAA- Try Day Grant: an opportunity for secondary school to earn a grant for up to $700 to introduce a new or non-traditional sport or physical activity to your school program in the. Select an activity that will motivate your students and get them moving again. Give other students the opportunity to exercise their leadership ability.