Best ideas to get kids moving? Can you top this one?

[Bill Barberg]

The new National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy recommends that communities “Adopt fun, enjoyable, high quality physical activity programs in youth-serving environments (schools, childcare and after-school programs) … that ensure adequate activity levels for all youth...”    What I'm looking for is the best specific initiative to accomplish that.  Building new soccer fields and hiring league officials and such is too expensive for most communities.   Kids don't want to go to aerobics classes after school.  They want to play.  Having them play "tag" will probably not be sufficient, and that is too "childish" for teens.  Kickball is not as much exercise as you might think, as most of the time is spent standing around. 

The best thing I have found in 5 years of searching is a game called "Ultimate Challenge" and I've introduced it to mixed-age groups in Boy Scouts, church groups and to inner-city elementary schools, and they all love it.  They run, and run and run (and laugh and shout) for usually an hour or more, and they are eager to play more. On a church campout, we set up the game (using a simple kit) in a grassy area, and a group that included elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids, college students and adults played for nearly two hours.

 

If you know anything even close to that good, suggest it here.  And, if this sounds interesting, check out www.ultimatechallengekits.com to learn more and see it being played.

I'm working with communities like St. Clair County, IL where they are seeking to make this something that is done throughout their communities.  We've developed a model to economically spread the game via many different organziations, service projects, etc.   We're looking for other ways to replicate good ideas.

Sincerely,

 

Bill Barberg