Physical Education Archives

Five ways to Boost Your Physical Activity Program Even with Limited Staff

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Sandy Slade

There are a multitude of reasons why an After School program may have staffing limitations. As cold weather approaches in the winter months, staff levels may be affected by illnesses,

Why Skillastics® Is The Best Choice for Your Physical Activity Program.

Posted on December 28, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Decades ago, education consisted of a single teacher in a one-room schoolhouse filled with kids of all ages, while After School programs didn’t exist. Physical activity programs involved simple free

Physical Activity vs. Movement: Consider Both For Your After School Program

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Words can ignite certain feelings in us. These feelings are usually connected to experiences we’ve had at some point in our lives. For instance, the word family may mean something

Seven steps to starting an Afterschool Program, even on a limited budget

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Sandy Slade

So you want to start an afterschool program. Whether it’s your lifelong dream to provide a safe space for kids to gather after school, or you’ve been voluntold by your

Vision to Reality – 5 Tips To Transform Your Afterschool Program

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Sandy Slade

It’s no secret the American workforce has experienced some rocky turmoil over the past year. As if the pandemic weren’t enough, employers faced The Great Resignation and then “The Great

Seven Key Ingredients For Improving Student Motivation

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Some educators use the words motivation and engagement interchangeably, but they’re very different. Motivation, from the Latin word motivus–meaning moving–is the force or thing that prompts you to act where

Five Ways to Increase Student Movement and Engagement

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Kids today are drawn to entertainment. Brought up with iPads, tablets, smart phones and video games that switch from video to video after 30 seconds, it can be hard to

Ways to Recognize Children to Encourage More Physical Activity

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Sandy Slade

There’s a constant battle in the mind of a child these days. The pull of electronic devices seems to be stronger than any force on the planet. When iPads, iPhones,

Five Before School Fitness Ideas That Work

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Enter your text here…There’s no doubt that kids who engage in physical activity before school have a leg up on kids who don’t engage in physical activity. Studies have shown

5 Fun Fitness Tips for Your YMCA Program

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Sandy Slade

It’s no easy task to engage children and teens in an active lifestyle. In recent years, as toddlers clutch tablets and keep their eyes glued to screens constantly, there has

Five Key Reasons Why Continuing Virtual Physical Activity Learning On-Site Is So Important

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Everyone looks forward to the day when students can go back to school full-time. Parents, teachers, and students alike will be elated to return to normalcy! Still, there are benefits

5 Tips for Creating Basketball Lesson that Kids Love

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Sandy Slade

It’s that time of year again! Gyms echo with the squeaks of sneakers as we kick off Basketball Season. During PE and after school this time of year, it’s all

How Budget Cuts Have Created a Health Epidemic in Students

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Sandy Slade

It’s no big secret that physical fitness is essential to living a long and healthy life, yet Physical Education is only mandatory in 8 of the 50 states. In the

How to Deal with Reluctant Students and Refusal to Participate

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Sandy Slade

Fear in children isn’t always expressed with wide-eyes and tears, particularly with older teens. In school, fear of failure at an activity or standing out in a bad way can

How Group Exercise Benefits Students (Secrets to Success)

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Exercise takes many forms, but for students, the best option is a group exercise. There is no argument against solo activities and lone forms of exercise, like weightlifting or exercise

Getting Your Students to Fall in Love with Physical Activity

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Love is in the air! Valentine’s Day celebrates love, and it doesn’t always have to be romantic. Love boils down to a passion for something (or someone!), and so we

The Best Physical Activity Programs to Organize a Group of Mixed Age Students with Limited Staff

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Most people would recognize the famous movie line, “Life is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get.” The same line could easily represent the

20 Hard Facts About Childhood Fitness

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Sandy Slade

As children engage in activities that get them moving, there are significant side effects that participating has on their lives. From better health overall to long-term benefits into adulthood, childhood

How Exercise Affects Mental Health

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Sandy Slade

Our bodies really are a machine; an amazing and organized system that works hard to keep us going. Every function of our circulatory, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and other systems work in

Technology and Interactive Media as Tools to Get Children Moving

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Sandy Slade

There’s no denying the pandemic changed the way we communicated, learned, and even exercised. Faced with the unique obstacle of continuing physical activity and movement while living and learning remotely,

Reasons Movement Teaches Kids to Think and Learn Differently

Posted on June 23, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Can science really confirm that physical activity affects the way we learn? Absolutely. Studies have proven that physical movement helps kids improve their memory, increase their motivation, and improve motor

The Benefits of Student-Led Activities

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Sandy Slade

It may come as a surprise to learn that leadership doesn’t begin at the high school level. In fact, educators are creating opportunities for young leaders at the primary age

Surprising Consequences of Physical Inactivity

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Sandy Slade

You don’t need a degree in sports medicine to know that some consequences of physical inactivity are as plain as the nose on your face. Obesity–both as a child and

Skillastics® Speed Stacking: The Physical Activity Your Program is Missing

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Sandy Slade

Over twenty years ago, Speed Stacks® founder Bob Fox watched Sport Stacking for the first time on a late night tv show. An elementary school teacher by trade, he quickly

An Era of Inactivity: Why Children Need to Move

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Sandy Slade

In the age of technology, it’s easy for adults, and especially children, to feel the temptation of tech, screens, and social media. All of the developments in new technology have

The History of Physical Education in the United States

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Sandy Slade

Physical education history traces back to ancient Greece, but it exists all over the world today. Starting from a young age, children need to engage in regular physical activity to