Strengthen your students’ brains & bodies with short activity breaks.
Incorporating classroom activity breaks and increased physical activity can improve school performance and the overall health and wellness of children.
The resources below can will help you support the academic and physical benefits of students taking part in Learn, Grow, Eat & Go!
Teacher Resources
The Resources below are referenced in Learn, Grow, Eat & GO! and support your class’s Eat component.
Benefits of Physical Activity With Your Class
For years, teachers have noticed that even brief physical activities, such as taking a class for a quick walk around the school or dancing in class to fun music, can yield great benefits, such as:
* Settling a fidgety group of kids
* Helping students refocus
* Promoting creativity
* Re-energizing a droopy class after lunch
To maximize the academic and physical benefits of students taking part in the Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! curriculum, it is recommended that you take brief physical activity breaks with your class. This may be completing the featured “Go Strong!” activities, enrolling in the Walk Across Texas program, or taking part in a similar exercise program in your state!
Be sure to look for the research notes at the top of each page of the “Go Strong!” section that highlight the academic, physical, and behavioral benefits to students taking part in increased physical activity. The fun and engaging relays, games, and exercises in this section can be completed in under 15 minutes, require little or no preparation, and will help your class Learn, Grow, Eat & Go Strong!
Go Strong Activity Resources
Below is a list of the featured Go Strong activities, needed materials and resource links to support your class.
Week 1: Take a Walk
Materials: 1 watch; optional: satellite photo of the school campus
Time: 15 minutes
Week 2: Team Bubble Burst
Materials: 1 balloon for each pair of students in the class
Time: 15 minutes
Week 3: Hit the Deck Dash
Materials: 6 chairs, 3 photocopies of Hit the Deck Dash cards (on next page)
that have been cut apart and sorted into 3 decks
Time: 15 minutes
Week 4: 10× Multiplying Monitor
Materials: 1 timer or clock with a seconds hand
Time: 15 minutes
Week 5: AlphaWalk
Materials: 1 watch
Week 6: Scarecrow Tag
Materials: 1 picture of a scarecrow
Week 7: Playground Touch Map
Materials: 1 dry-erase board or poster board; for each student: 1 pencil and
1 sheet of paper
Time: 15 minutes
Week 8: Caterpillar Carry
Materials: 2 lightweight balls (such as playground, foam, or beach balls)
Time: 15 minutes
Week 9: Rainbow Relay
Materials: 1 blue, green, red, purple, white, and yellow crayon per student,
3 crayon boxes, 3 clipboards, and 3 sheets of paper
Time: 15 minutes
Week 10: Favorite Walk
Materials: None Time: 15 minutes
