B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active, Fit and Skilful

Being Active in Many Ways

B1 A1.5 A1.3About 30 minutes

Learning goals

I can take part in many kinds of activities: on my own, with a small group, outdoors in nature, and dancing.
I can tell what makes being active fun for me.
I can give reasons why it is good to be active every day.
I can notice how I feel when I move, and keep going when something is new or hard.

Words to know

physical activity
Any moving of your body that uses energy, like running, dancing, swimming or shovelling snow.

individual activity
An activity you can do on your own, like skipping rope, biking or yoga.

small-group activity
An activity you do with a few other people, like tag, a ball game with two or three friends, or a group dance.

natural environment
Outdoor places like a park, a forest trail, a beach or a snowy hill.

enjoyment
The good, happy feeling you get when you like what you are doing.

Remember from Grade 1

In Grade 1 you learned that physical activity is any way of moving your body, and that you can be active at home, at school and in your community.

This year you will try even more kinds of activities, find out what makes moving fun for you, and learn why it is good to move every single day.

Four kinds of activities

There are many ways to be active. Here are four kinds to try in Grade 2:

On your own (individual): skipping rope, riding a bike, yoga, hula hoop.
With a small group: tag, passing a ball with two or three friends, hopscotch with a buddy.
Outdoors in nature: walking on a trail, tobogganing, climbing at the park, building a snow fort.
Dance: moving to music, making up a dance, dances from different cultures.

Many people in Canada also enjoy activities from their families and cultures. For example, lacrosse was first played by First Nations peoples long before it became a popular sport in Canada.

A blue bike, a bike helmet, a skipping rope, a hula hoop, a soccer ball and a flying disc on the grass in a park. — So many ways to be active! Which of these could you use on your own, and which are more fun with a group? AI-generated image

The four kinds of activities. Some activities fit more than one kind: dancing with friends at the park is dance, small group and outdoors!

🚲🛷⛸️💃⚽🥾🏊🧘

Biking, tobogganing, skating, dancing, soccer, hiking, swimming and yoga are all ways to be active.

What makes moving fun?

Different people enjoy different things. Some things that make activity fun are:

What makes it fun	Example
Being with friends or family	Playing tag with your cousins
Being outside	Jumping in leaves under a maple tree
Trying something new	Learning to skate for the first time
Getting better at something	Skipping 10 times without stopping
Moving to music	Dancing in the kitchen
Having a choice	Picking the game at recess

There is no wrong answer. What makes activity fun for YOU?

Why move every day?

Being active every day helps you in lots of ways:

Your heart, lungs, muscles and bones get stronger.
You have more energy and you sleep better.
You can feel happier and calmer.
You make friends when you play together.
You learn new skills and feel proud.

Your body is like a bike. If it sits in the garage all winter, it gets rusty. If you use it, it keeps working well!

Notice how you feel

After you move, stop and ask yourself:

How does my body feel? (warm, tired, strong, wiggly?)
How do my feelings feel? (happy, proud, calm, frustrated?)

Noticing this helps you learn what you enjoy. That is part of knowing yourself.

Just for fun

Why did the bicycle fall over?

It was two-tired! (Good thing your body gets more energy when you move every day.)

Worked example

Let's sort some activities together

Sort these: skipping rope, tag with 3 friends, hiking on a trail, making up a dance to a song.

Ask: Can I do it alone? Skipping rope: yes. That is an individual activity.
Ask: Do I need a few other people? Tag with 3 friends: yes. That is a small-group activity.
Ask: Is it outdoors in nature? Hiking on a trail: yes. That is a natural environment activity.
Ask: Is it moving to music? Making up a dance: yes. That is dance.

Skipping = individual, tag = small group, hiking = natural environment, dance = dance. Some activities fit more than one kind! You could dance with a small group outside.

Worked example

Let's keep going when it's new

Maya tries a hula hoop for the first time. It falls down right away. She feels frustrated. What can she do?

Name the feeling: "I feel frustrated."
Take a breath: one slow breath in through the nose, out through the mouth.
Use a helpful thought: "I can't do it yet. Everyone starts somewhere."
Try a small step: spin the hoop on her arm first, then try her waist again.
Notice progress: "Now it goes around 2 times!"

Maya names her feeling, breathes, thinks "not yet" and practises in small steps. Keeping on trying is how new activities become fun.

Hands-on activity

My Active Week

You need: paper, a pencil or crayons.

Draw a chart with 7 boxes, one for each day of the week.
Each day, do at least one activity and draw it in the box.
Try to fit in all four kinds: on your own, small group, outdoors in nature, and dance.
Next to each drawing, draw a face: 😀 (loved it), 🙂 (it was okay), 😐 (not my favourite).
At the end of the week, tell a grown-up: Which activity did you enjoy most? Why?

Your turn

Name one activity you can do on your own.

Name one activity you do with a small group.

Name one activity you can do outdoors in nature.

Tell one thing that makes being active fun for you.

Give two reasons to be active every day.

Do it and check: Put on a song and dance for the whole song. Then tell how your body feels and how your feelings feel.

Is shovelling snow physical activity?

More practice: warm-up

Is skipping rope an individual activity or a small-group activity?

Is tobogganing an activity in the natural environment?

True or false: Everyone enjoys exactly the same activities.

Is watching TV physical activity?

Do it and check: March on the spot for 30 seconds, lifting your knees high.

More practice: on your own

Sam likes being with people. Which would he probably enjoy more: riding a bike alone or playing tag with friends? Why?

Name an activity that is both small-group and outdoors in nature.

Why is it good to try new activities, not just your favourite one?

Leo says, "I'm not good at skating, so I hate it." What could help him enjoy it more?

How can being active help you when you feel grumpy?

Challenge

Plan a Saturday with one activity of each kind: on your own, small group, nature, and dance.

Ava loves music but does not like ball games. Suggest two activities she might enjoy and explain why.

Think of an activity you did not like at first but like now. What changed?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is an individual activity?

Which is an activity in the natural environment?

Which is a good reason to be active every day?

Which of these is something that can make activity fun?

Kim tries a new game and it feels hard. What is a helpful thought?

Which one is not physical activity?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: In Grade 2, children take part in a wide variety of activities (individual, small-group, outdoors in nature, dance and activities from different cultures), think about what makes activity enjoyable for them, and explain why daily activity matters.

How to help at home:

Use the My Active Week chart. Aim for variety, not perfection.
Ask "What did you like about that?" after play. Children who can name what they enjoy are more likely to stay active.
Be active together: a family walk, tobogganing, a kitchen dance party.

Common difficulties:

"I'm not good at it, so I don't like it." Praise effort and small improvements, and model the word "yet".
Only wanting screen time. Offer choices ("Do you want to bike or go to the park?") rather than a yes/no question.

Social-emotional link (strand A): noticing how their body and feelings respond to activity (self-awareness, A1.5) and keeping on trying with new activities (perseverance, A1.3).