The Importance of Childhood Exercise
Authors: Abby Smith, Ashley Waters, Casey Carver, Paige Leibfried, Sabrina Marx, Sharon Ware-Mccray, and Victoria Hallman
Faculty Supervisor: Laura Grantham, MSN, RN
Abstract:
The goal of our project was to explain to 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders the importance of exercise, not just for their physical well-being but for their mental health as well. We worked with Satilla Marsh After-School Day Care and talked with and played games students at the site. Upon arrival we asked the kids what they already knew about exercise, questions such as what sort of exercise can be done at home for free, what is important about exercising, and how much time do they spend watching TV or playing video games. We gave them tips on exercising, for instance during a commercial break during a TV show they can do some jumping jacks. We then started the games with various stations, including Hop-Scotch, basketball, and jump rope. We played music during station switch points where everyone stopped what they were doing and danced in placed for one minute.
All of the stations aimed at increasing the children’s heart rate and breathing which in turn increases oxygen to the brain which helps with cognition. The stations also promoted ways to exercise at home for free which is something that was important to us to highlight because of the vast financial demographic in Glynn County. We ended our day with a group activity game called Red-Rover and we quizzed the children on things that were discussed throughout the day to assess their level of understanding. Before the kids left they each got a jump rope to take home and use for exercise.
