The Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health & Sports, and the Michigan Fitness Foundation

ACES-with-a-Friend IDEA KIT

Make ACES Last All Year

ACES day is just one way to get kids excited about physical activity, but it’s important to motivate them to be active every day. And since many of you have asked for ideas to encourage physical activity throughout the year, here’s a summary that provides just that.

Kids Walk to School—SAVE THE DATE—The 1st Wednesday in October (or any date in October that works for your school). This program promotes walking to school as an important way to promote physical activity.

Team Nutrition
Maybe your school is already participating in the Team Nutrition program. But if it’s not, check out the sample programs included in this book in the “Nutrition’s Role” section. You will find three different excellent ways to combine nutrition and physical activity. Also included is information on how to order more Team Nutrition materials.

Families in Training
Another great way to keep students active all year is available in a program called “Families in Training.” With this package, students and their families track their physical activity and add it to the school’s overall tally. Its goal is to inspire families to participate in more physical activity and spend more time together. If your school is interested in “Families in Training,” call Fitness Finders at 517-750-1500 or visit http://www.fitnessfinders.net/

Feelin’ Good Mileage Club
This lunch-time walking program can motivate your students to use their midday break wisely. Since 1986, many Michigan schools have used this incentive-based walking program. For more information, call Fitness Finders at 517-750-1500 or visit http://www.fitnessfinders.net/

All School Walks
On ACES day, assign a group of children the task of measuring the distance around your building or playground that could easily be used as a walking path. Just as ACES takes place the first Wednesday in May, make the first Wednesday of every month an All School Walk and invite families to come to the school in the evening to enjoy some physical activity. If the snow isn’t too deep, this activity can still be done during the winter months. They’ll just have to wear their boots instead of their tennis shoes!

Other Activities
The following activities are part of the “All Communities Exercise” Coordinators Kit from the Texas Physical Activity Network and the Texas Department of Health.

« Aerobic Musical Chairs—Set up a circle of chairs and form a group that has one more person than chairs. Each time someone is eliminated from the game a chair is removed, but the chairs are not moved closer together as the group diminishes to increase activity.

« Simon Says Aerobics—An experienced instructor leads students through an aerobics class using traditional “Simon Says” rules with one exception. Those eliminated because they didn’t follow the leader must still participate, they just won’t win.

« Parks and Recreation Day—Have your local Parks and Recreation Department lead a participatory demonstration of all their summer leagues and classes-from karate to gymnastics to basketball to ballet.

« Fitness Obstacle Course—Design a path where students jump rope, lift light dumbbells, run over tires, do jumping jacks, climb stairs, shoot baskets and throw footballs.

« Mini-Fitness Trail—Set up a walking trail within or around your school. Measure and mark your mileage in feet or yards and include a stretching station at the beginning and end of the trail.

« Dash for Trash—Organize groups of students and equip them with garbage bags and rubber gloves. Send them on pre-planned routes throughout the community to pick up trash and debris.

« History Walk—Invite your local tourism council to lead a walk through your community’s historic district. Stops at interesting homes, monuments, cemeteries and museums will teach students about their hometown while getting their exercise.