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Type of Play: Physical Activity
Subcategory: Physical Activity Anytime, Anywhere
Student Interest Areas: Arts, Physical Education, Physical Fitness, Public Relations
Grade Level: Elementary & Secondary
Level of Involvement: Going Further
Work with your school leaders to find a classroom or space that is not being used and create a fitness center that can be used by students and teachers before, during and after school. Show students and the whole community that physical activity is a valuable part of your school’s day!
Everyone Can:
- Form a design team
- Identify areas of the school that could serve as a fitness center
- Solicit donations of equipment and supplies
- Create activity posters with ideas and information about physical activity
- Help paint and set up the fitness center
- Encourage friends and classmates to be physically active every day
Keep It Going:
- Form a fitness center development team consisting of students, P.E./health professionals, teachers and your principal. Have your team decide which areas of the school might be a good location for a fitness center—maybe an empty classroom or a hallway area that isn’t used much. Work with your groups and the administration to decide the best days and times to open the center, and find volunteer adults to supervise.
- Contact local businesses and civic organizations for donations of time, materials and funds to get equipment for the room, move materials in and set up a fitness center that everyone can use. Provide information to the businesses about what you are trying to do and why. Create a presentation highlighting the benefits of physical activity and how having a place to go for short workouts will help everyone in your school.
- Solicit donations of exercise mats, paint and equipment from the community. Use the Tools and Resources below to help. Consider applying for funding for Fuel Up to Play 60 to make it happen!
- Meet with your team and other volunteers to paint the fitness area over a weekend or school break. When school resumes, enjoy a bright new fitness center that will help keep your entire school motivated and interested in physical activity.
- Make signs and posters highlighting activities that can be done in the fitness center. Use the ideas in the Tools and Resources to help with your ideas.
This Play may help you meet the goals of the USDA's HealthierUS School Challenge!
Get
ideas for getting your entire community involved in Fuel Up to Play 60!
Learn about funding opportunities to help you implement your program successfully.
Create Your Own Fitness Center
"We made a fitness area in our gym. It includes a treadmill, recumbrant bike free weights, fitballs, medicine balls, exerbands, a health rider, exercise videos and wall posters with sample workouts. It is here to be used by all staff and students with supervision."
"With this play idea, we have involved our community and our students to make a free, fun and safe spot for kids and adults to be active all year round!"
"We are designing a Sensory motor room for our low incidence scholars. Here they can build skills so they can participate in Physical Education classes with regular education scholars. We purchased equipment with school district funds for Special Needs scholars. They have over sized balls, adult tricycle, stress balls, extended time at recess and customized nutritional information sessions.They have walking trips daily and along with the regular use of the equipment."
"We would like to expand the open gym to include outdoor lifetime recreation, winter activities and fitness activities on alternate days or weeks, add after-school times and a community night for families on alternate months. "
"Our physical activity will include promotion, use and maintenance of our nature trail. Funds would be used to create trail pamphlets and update signs. "
"With Funds, we plan to install an outdoor fitness station which will be used in accordance with our outdoor trail system. The station will incorporate 24 different exercises for a total body workout. The greatest part of adding an outdoor system is the fact that it will be available to the community – an opportunity to change the lives of our students and our neighbors that use our trails and fields after hours. "
"We offered intramurals during lunch. We had a hip-hop workshop after school. Several times per month we had open gym on Saturdays where not only students but parents could come and join in. Students participated in physical activities during Wednesday collaboration days and during advisory competitions."
"Our school has developed a “fit club” for students where students can exercise. Our school has exercise machines, weights and balance trainers. The students love this program."