Ways to Play
More than just fun, play is a vital activity that we all use to build the mental, physical, and social skills necessary to interact in our world. Active play doesn’t have to be structured or organized to be beneficial, it can be something we do for the sheer fun of it. The act of playing is far more important than the outcome. Play is voluntary, pleasurable, it offers a sense of engagement and it takes us out of time. Play is how we connect with others. There are as many ways to play as there are people on this earth, all it takes is a willingness to embrace our inherent sense of wonder and freedom. If you need some help in getting started, we narrowed done the ways to three avenues of participation for you to find the way you want to play.
PLAY LIFESTYLE
YOUR COMMUNITY
TEAM OR LEAGUE
WE CAN ALL PLAY
Caregivers, whether they are siblings, parents, grandparents or family friends can enjoy the many benefits of PLAY. You don’t need to play all the time, but a little bit of play, can go a long way towardmaking people more productive and happier. So add some PLAY to your life, the next time you spend time with a child find some fun and PLAY:
Go on a nature walk, take the kids and head to a local park and saviour the sights and sounds of nature
- Collect some treasures along the way like leaves and sticks and create something special to remember the day
- Bring a camera to photograph species your children can later identify.
- Take time to look under rocks for salamanders and insects.
- Bring a basic field guide – your child may be very interested in learning about the birds or butterflies you see
more ideas
Try Bird Watching together. Bring kids to the park, marsh, pond or trail to observe ducks and other birds. Try bringing your feathered friends to your own yard by building a homemade birdfeeder together.
Pass along your green thumb to children by growing berries, pumpkins, vegetables or flowers together.
Hit the Playground. It’s great exercise for both you and a child. Try playing tag or using the swings
Share your interests or hobbies. Maybe its fishing or knitting or anything in between but children will love to learn a new hobby or skill from someone in their life.
Check out your local library or municipality for PLAY kits, fishing poles, snowshoes, books or websites on introducing kids to new activities
what is physical literacy?
Physical literacy is when kids have developed the skills, confidence, and love of movement to be physically active for life.
Active Transportation
The Public Health Unit describes Active Transportation as “any form of non-polluting, human-powered transportation – walking, cycling, using a wheelchair, in-line skating or skateboarding.”
There are many ways to engage in active transportation, whether it is walking to the bus stop, cycling to school/work or skateboarding to meet friends.
Active transportation has many benefits, including:
HEALTH
Provides an opportunity to be physically active on a regular basis.
ENVIRONMENT
Contributes to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
MONEY
Save money on gas and parking, and reduce hours spent at the gym.
Find ways to integrate active transportation into your life by finding communities, workplaces and schools that support an active lifestyle.
Communities
Does your community…
- have dedicated bicycle lanes and routes?
- advocate for sharing the road with cyclists?
- provide storage for bicycles throughout the community?
- make access to public transit?
Workplaces
Does your workplace…
- support and encourage their employees to adopt active transportation
- provide secure bicycle storage, lockers and shower facilities
- allow more flexible dress codes
- organize workplace challenges
Schools
Does your school…
- work with parents and the community to make the trip to school safe
- support and encourage students to adopt active lifestyle
- offer cycling and in-line skating skill and safety courses
- identify the safest routes to get to school
