How to guide
Secondary
> Move and Groove
Take your exercise outside!
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We all know that kids love being active and that being active makes kids happy. And you’ve probably seen how grumpy kids can instantly go from grizzle to delight in a mere moment just by stepping outside. And now the studies are in to prove what you already knew about kids and the great outdoors!
A recent report from Planet Ark summarised a body of local and international research linking childhood contact with nature with a range of health and wellbeing benefits, including:
- Positive mental health outcomes, such as reduced symptoms and severity of ADHD, reduced stress levels, reduced depression, and increased confidence and self esteem;
- Physical health benefits, such as reduced risks of obesity and myopia, improved balance and coordination, and improved recovery from certain medical conditions;
- Enhanced intellectual development, such as improved creativity and imagination, and improved academic performance.
Combining these with what we know about kids needing physical activity and heading outside for exercise seems like a terrific idea. And the icing on the cake for outdoor activity is that kids who are more active when young develop fewer health problems and kids who spend time outside grow into adults with a stronger sense of concern and care for the environment. Good for now, good for the future!
How To Do It
Learn some Bear Grylls Survival Skills
Learn some survival skills. We mean REAL survival skills. Ask students to each research, learn and teach one or two of the following ‘Bear Grylls Survival Skills’ to classmates:
- Have knowledge about local edible and medicinal plants and build foraging skills
- Knowledge of dietary needs and how to meet them using native plants
- Grow vegetables from seeds
- Make a fire and know fire safety
- Cook on an open fire
- Open a can of food with and without a can opener
- Be able to tell if food is too spoiled to eat
- Safely use a knife (adult supervision required!)
- Make and shoot a sling shot (adult supervision required!)
- Make and hunt small animals with snares and traps (adult supervision required!)
- How to make a basic weapon and how to use it (adult supervision required!)
- How to fish
- Clean fish and wild game
- Find water and identify if it’s safe to drink
- Filter and boil water to drink
- Build a shelter in the wilderness
- Staying warm, cool and dry when outdoors
- Be able to run and walk a good distance and be in generally good shape
- Climb a tree to get away from predators
- How, why and when to stay hidden
- Basic self-defense skills
- Read a map and use a compass
- Read the sky and stars for directions, time and approaching bad weather
- How to sew to mend clothing or any fabric and even make things such as bags or shelter
- How to bargain and trade
- Basic first aid
- Basic hygiene practices
Quick tips: Record student research as filmed instructional videos or in a class survival journal.
Explore your neighbourhood
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called ‘geocaches’ or ‘caches’, anywhere in the world. The caches generally contain a pencil and logbook for recording visitors, and sometimes goods or trinkets for trade. See more at Geochaching.
Rogaining
Rogaining is a sport of long distance cross-country navigation, involving both route planning and navigation between checkpoints using a variety of map types. In a rogaine, teams of 2-5 people choose which checkpoints to visit within a time limit with the intent of maximising their score. Rogaining can be done in both country and urban environments. See more at Rogaine.
Quick tip: Create a geocaching adventure for staff or other students at your school.
What’s Our Impact?
Spend time in nature running, climbing trees and getting dirty, or sitting quietly in the natural world around you. Just spending one hour outdoors instead of in the classroom will save you both gas and electricity!
- CO2E (weekly) 5.57
- CO2E (annual) 230
- Black balloons (weekly) 69
- Black balloons (annual) 2773
CALCULATE YOUR IMPACT
Fast Facts
Physical activity is defined as any activity that gets your body moving, makes your breathing become quicker and your heart beat faster. You can be physically active in many different ways at any time of day.
According to the Australian Government:
- Nine in ten Australian young people (aged 13-17) don’t move enough
- For health benefits, young people aged 13–17 should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity every day.
- Fewer than one in three children and young people (aged 5-17) met the ‘no more than two hours of screen-based entertainment’ every day.
- Children and young people should not spend more than two hours a day using electronic media for entertainment (e.g. computer games, Internet, TV), particularly during daylight hours.