Explore & Download These Resources
Food & Fun: Physical Activity (video)
Food & Fun is a free afterschool curriculum developed by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and YMCA of the USA designed to develop healthy habits in out of school time. Eleven teaching units help programs infuse healthy snacks and recipes, physically active games, and creative learning activities into regular program schedules. Curriculum materials are available free of charge. This is a video about how to infuse movement into an afterschool program.
Wellness in the Schools
Wellness in the Schools (WITS) began when public school parents united around the conviction that healthier bodies make healthier minds and that, conversely, unhealthy school environments interfere with student health, school attendance and academic achievement. Today their programs reach over 50,000 students in over 100 public schools daily. Their website has a tools section that can be helpful for afterschool programs.
Mind Your Mind
The Mind Your Mind site is a rich resource containing curricula, teaching guides, mobile apps and videos that can help programs working with youth manage stress, talk about mental health, and engage in pro-social activities, such as creating narratives with dance.
Reducing Food Waste in OST
This Guide by the National Recreation and Park Association demonstrates that food waste can add to food costs, and programs can use the funds saved through waste reduction efforts to improve the overall quality of food served. By reducing food waste, programs may also improve children’s healthy eating. Engaging them to tackle food waste offers a great way to explore subjects, like global ecology; the food production cycle; community waste system practices, composting and recycling.
Mindfulness in Afterschool Curriculum
Developed by Temescal Associates, this curriculum provides a wide variety of activities and strategies to promote mindfulness in the afterschool context.
Physical Activities for the Afterschool Program (Video)
Developed by the Ontario Department of Parks & Recreation, this video shows several different games that can be used to keep kids physically active during OST>
» Watch the Video «
In Defense of Food Curriculum
This curriculum was designed for middle school youth as a companion to the PBS documentary In Defense of Food. It uses activities and film clips to give young people aged 10 to 14 new tools to think critically about food. Students prepare delicious recipes, create performance poetry and participate in peer-to-peer learning.
Quick Physical Activity Breaks.
A list of quick ways that staff can get children and youth moving in-between activities.
Snack It Up Four recipes.
Healthy and fun snack recipes appropriate for the out-of-school time.
Snack It Up Taste Test.
A way to engage children and youth in evaluating snacks by hosting a tasting.
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and How to Overcome Them.
A guide to sugar-sweetened beverages, the health risks in serving to students, and alternatives to using them with children and youth.
Snack It Up.
A guide to developing a partnership with local grocery stores to get discounts on healthy snacks while staying within budget.
Keys to Quality Afterschool
A general guide for afterschool programs, but one that includes sections on developing healthy and supportive relationships with children and between children.
Food & Fun After School Planning Tool
A tool that can be used by OST program staff to keep track of activities that promote healthy eating and physical activity.
The OSNAP Guide:
A Step by Step Process for Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Out of School Settings
This guide is designed to help OST organizations implement the Out Of School Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative (OSNAP), a program designed to improve physical activity and nutrition practices and policies.
Assorted Fitness Breaks: “True or False”, “Wipeout” and “Nature Walk”
A vimeo that demonstrates how instructors can use physical activities as part of academic instruction. Can easily be adapted for the OST context.
OSNAP Action Planning Document—
A tool to help staff set goals to improve the physical activity of students as well as nutrition of students.
The Walking Classroom
The Walking Classroom is a national award-winning education program that provides students and teachers with an innovative way to get exercise without sacrificing instructional time. The website has some free materials.
ACTIVE PLAY-
ACTIVE LEARNING.
Research-based quick activities for the classroom that aim to both engage children in physical activity while enhancing their learning experience. They take virtually no preparation and no extra materials to perform.
