WHAT IS BE ACTIVE KIDS? 

Click here to listen to a story about Be Active Kids.

Be Active Kids is a physical activity initiative focused on providing physical activity related support and resources to individuals caring for young children in North Carolina.  Be Active Kids utilizes a developmentally appropriate curricula and various training modules to increase physical activity of both children and adults in early childhood settings.   

 

 

The Be Active Kids message is carried out through five cuddly and adventurous characters including Blue the caring cub, Glide the bird, Swing the monkey, Leap the rabbit and Dart the dog.  Using these characters as their guides, children can engage in playful experiences, interact with an story, explore their natural surroundings, and much more.

Be Active Kids works with child care center, child care homes, and schools across North Carolina on the following 10 components:

 

  • Understand the importance of physical activity, movement, skill development and play
  • Assess for a health environment
  • Set goals and create and action plan related to physical activity
  • Integrate physical activity into planning routines
  • Alter policies related to physical activity
  • Incorporate staff wellness including physical activity
  • Provide parent education related to physical activity and play
  • Alter indoor and outdoor environments that enhance physical activity and active play
  • Choose and use physical activity equipment appropriately
  • Sustaining an active and healthy environment

The Be Active Kids also utilizes curricula designed to provide developmentally appropriate, fun and interactive information and activity for young children birth to five years old. Instructional materials provide physical activity content along with instructional strategies in four focus areas motor skill development, health relate fitness, play, and nature.  Integrating learning and movement is a key to developing a balanced and healthy child who understands and interacts with the world around them.

Be Active Kids offers several training modules, based on the ten items listed above, to assist in the continuing education of early childhood professionals.  Our various training modules vary in length from one to five hours and are intended to be connected together to develop a deeper level of competence while assisting educators in gaining CEUs towards certification.  Each training module includes active engagement and physical activity, relevant and up-to-date information, practical examples and application of the information presented, and follow-up action.  Be Active Kids trainings relate to following NC Division of Child Development topic areas:  (1) Planning a safe, healthy learning environment; (2) Children’s physical & intellectual development; (3) Child growth development; and (4) Productive relationships with families.

OUTCOMES OF BE ACTIVE KIDS?

 32,000 young children more active, more often by 2015

 

The Be Active Kids is dedicated to improving the health and future potential of young children ages birth to five through movement.  It is our aim to do this by: (1) providing people (administrators, teachers, parents and children) with the tools they need to develop positive physical activity habits for a lifetime of good health; (2) influencing the places (schools, child care centers, and child care homes, afterschool facilities, and homes) where young children spend their time; and (3) raise the awareness of the need for children’s active play opportunities, motor skill development, exposure to nature, and an early start to a healthy life.

 

HOW BE ACTIVE KIDS WORKS?

Individuals who work with young children can get involved in three ways: (1) Attend five hours of training - select from our ten training modules offered through local Be Active Kids trainers.  Over 200 volunteers serve as Be Active Kids trainers statewide.  Be Active Kids resources are distributed at training sessions where participants learn about physical activity, movement and play to make realistic changes in their classrooms, centers/schools and communities.  For information about training sessions in your county, contact the Be Active Kids Program Specialist at info@beactivekids.org.  View the provider and trainer pages for more information.  (2) Center of Excellence - be selected to become a Be Active Kids Center of Excellence.  Child care centers will be selected based on applications, targeted regions and communities and the owner/directors commitment to fulfill the requirements of a Center of Excellence.  (3)  Recognition Site - contact Be Active Kids to communicate and share the ways you are getting kids healthy and active.  Recognition Sites are those child care centers, child care homes, or schools that have found unique ways to get children moving and engaged in a healthy lifestyle on a consistent and regular basis.  These sites may include some or all of the components of a Center of Excellence but have been done independently of Be Active Kids. 

 

WHY BE ACTIVE KIDS?

Children's Health:

 

 

  • Childhood obesity rates
  • Increase in type 2 diabetes
  • Increase risk of heart disease, cancer, etc
  • Physical activity is one of the most impactful and inexpensive ways to improve health and reduce the obesity issue

 

Staff Wellness:

  • Improved productivity
  • Improved personal health
  • Reduced stress
  • Adds positive engagements with children
  • Teachers are role models and learn more than just what we intend (enacted curriculum vs hidden curriculum)

Readiness to Learn:

  • Physical acitivity is stronglt linked to academic performance
  • Improves focus and attention
  • Focus on various learning styles to assist the child in better understanding the tasks they are engaged in and the world around them
  • Adds the fun back to learning

The Future:

  • Society and its emphasis on play and physical activity has been and continue to change (fears, time constraints, structure, sedentary behaviors)
  • Habits are formed early (negative habits tend to increase with ages, especially those associated with obesity and sedentary behaviors)
  • Changes towards physical activity, movement, play and overall health have to take place at mulitple levels (child care, school, home, community, etc)
  • Childhood obesity is putting today's youth on a course to be the first generation to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents
  • Children are 600 times more likely to develop heart disease if they do not engage in physical activity on a regular basis


More than 200,000 children spend their day in nearly 5,000 licensed child care centers across the state. Children are born to move and play. Be Active Kids teaches adults how to facilitate the natural tendency for children to move.  Increasing the health and physical activity among our youngest children and those who care for them is essential in ensuring that these children are ready to learning and have the best possible quality of life as they grow and develop.

 

HISTORY OF BE ACTIVE KIDS?

The Be Active Kids program was created in 1999 through a community partnership.  Professionals in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and food safety designed the original Be Active Kids curriculum kit for children ages four and five.   Be Active North Carolina has administered the Be Active Kids program through a train-the trainer model  to over 800 trainers and 4500 child care providers across all 100 counties in North Carolina.  An advisory committee of experts from the areas of physical activity, education, early childhood, professional development, nutrition, outdoor environments, and disability services helped guide the work of Be Active Kids.   Be Active Kids is recommended by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, North Carolina Smart Start/Partnership for Children, and the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children. Additional Be Active Kids collaborative partners include the North Carolina Children and Nature Coalition, Natural Learning Initiative, Outdoor Learning Environments Alliance and Eat Smart Move More North Carolina.  Be Active Kids is a signature program of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation in partnership with Be Active North Carolina.