Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation

Physical Activity

This resource section has a variety of information sources that support development of initiatives aimed at improving physical activity for children, youth and their families.

• Promotional Materials
• Communications and Marketing Campaigns
• Tools
• Sources of Information for Professionals
• Physical Acitivity Practitioners and Partners
• Funding

Promotional Materials

Active Kids Healthy Kids
Active Kids Healthy Kids uses the resources below for requests for awareness materials such as brochures and posters. There are post-cards and limited promotional paraphernalia branded Active Kids Healthy Kids; Contact your HPP regional office.

Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Children and Youth
The Public Health Agency of Canada offers guides that describe easy ways to increase physical activity, state how much is needed to maintain good health and why physical activity is important. There are separate guides for the family and teachers. There are magazines, a chart and stickers for children and youth. Both English and French guides are available to the public.

Canadian Paediatric Society
The "sister" materials to Canada's Physical Activity Guides come from the Canadian Paediatric Society in a series called Healthy Active Living for Children and Youth. The brochure is for adults who care for children. The poster is appropriate for most venues. The quick reference sheet helps physicians determine who needs counselling, and how to counsel, prescribe and monitor an effective plan. The prescription sheet helps physicians make recommendations for each patient so children record their activities to monitor at appointments. Both English and French materials are available for a fee.

ParticipACTION
ParticipACTION communicates through various mediums to stimulate action. Their website hosts a searchable directory of community resources.

Take the Roof Off Winter
This campaign, unique to Nova Scotia, offers a download centre for accessing a series of posters, videos, television and radio public service announcements, story articles, advertisements, banners, merchandise and children's game sheets.

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Communications and Marketing Campaigns

Various marketing campaigns support the principles of Active Kids Healthy Kids.

Let's Right the Future
Let's Right the Future is a campaign aimed at leaders in community and parents to improve the conditions for children and youth to eat healthier and be more physically active. The Council of Atlantic Premiers launched the campaign in fall 2009.

www.momsanddads.ca
Parents and guardians want to do the best for their family. But sometimes, it's not easy. Nova Scotians can find help raising a safe and healthy family - momsanddads.ca. Here there are useful hints and practical information for families on topics such as physical activity and healthy eating.

ParticipACTION
ParticipACTION is delivers communication methods that act as a catalyst for action. The current campaign speaks to parents of children and youth and another campaign (called SOGO) targets youth.

Take the Roof Off Winter
This campaign promotes being active outside during winter in Nova Scotia. There are local public events, television and radio public service announcements, contests and showcases of outdoor rinks.

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Tools

Early Childhood

Active Living For Early Childhood
The brief document encourages child care staff to help young children be regularly physically active for healthy development. It was developed by the Department of Health and Wellness in cooperation with the Department of Community Services.

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Sources of Information for Professionals

Below are key sources for information that support the development of initiatives aimed at improving physical activity for children, youth and their families.

Visit the active transportation page for information about active transportation and trails.

www.activekidsns.ca
An online searchable reference that supports those promoting physical activity to stimulate program ideas, share resources and feature supportive evidence. The site is open to anyone working or volunteering to improve physical activity opportunities for children and youth.

Active Healthy Kids Canada
Active Healthy Kids Canada hosts research articles, facts and statistics categorized by health, physical activity, family, school, community, environment and policy. AHKC releases an annual report card on physical activity for children and youth.

Alberta Centre for Active Living
This centre from Alberta provides evidence-based information for professionals who promote physical activity.

Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity
Expertise, training, resources and research to help us understand how to bet engage females.

Coalition for Active Living
This national action group offers statistics, reports and key messages.

Everybody Gets to Play
This Canada-wide initiative provides resources about poverty in Canada, the health and social consequences of poverty to improve the lives of kids, families and communities through recreation. Recreation Nova Scotia is the lead organization for Nova Scotia.

Leisure Information Network
Canada's online warehouse for the knowledge and collective wisdom that helps practitioners and organizations work more effectively in physical activity, recreation and sport.

Physical Activity Resource Centre (Ontario)
This resource centre from Ontario provides useful resources helpful to our work in Nova Scotia.

Physical and Health Education Canada
This organization's concern is to influence the healthy development of children and youth by advocating for quality, school-based physical and health education. The site offers much and varied information and resources for professionals working in schools.

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Physical Activity Practitioners and Partners

Physical Activity Practitioners

Since 2002, over 40 physical activity practitioners positions have been created in Nova Scotia by school boards, municipalities, district health authorities and provincial organizations to promote health enhancing physical activity.

Municipal Level

Each participating municipal unit of the Municipal Physical Activity Leadership program has a Physical Activity Coordinator who develops and implements a municipal physical activity plan. To learn more, click here.

Regional Level

Regional Active Communities
As part of Regional Active Communities, all six regions have a Physical Activity or Active Communities Coordinator who promote physical activity primarily for children, youth and families in the region. They are connected provincially and municipally. To learn more, click here.

School Boards
Each school board has an Active Healthy Living Consultant who develops and supports health curriculum.

Each school board and the Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey have at least one Sport Animator who works between schools and communities to improve opportunities for physical activity outside of class time.

District Health Authorities
Public health units are demonstrating the importance of physical activity by creating new coordinator positions that focus on physical activity promotion. Four districts with such staff are Capital, Cape Breton, Guysborough, Antigonish and Strait, and Pictou County.

Provincial Level

Non-profit Organizations
Some organizations are diversifying their staff to have those with a focus on promoting physical activity such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, Recreation Nova Scotia and Ecology Action Centre. To learn more, click here.

Government
The Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation responsibility area of the Department of Health and Wellness has various staff who develop and implement strategies for sport, recreation and physical activity, administer grants and support the network of physical activity practitioners. To learn more, click here.

The Department of Education has staff who lead and support regional Active Healthy Living Consultants and the Health Promoting Schools program.

A Round of Applause for the Partners

Collaboration has been and will continue to be integral in the progress and successes of the Active Kids Healthy Kids Strategy. As the strategy evolves, more organizations connect to the growing network of partners. The Department of Health and Wellness duly notes their commitment and passion, and looks forward to further collaboration with these and other partners.

Alliance for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
Cancer Care Nova Scotia
Ecology Action Centre
Gymnastics Nova Scotia
HeartWood Centre for Community Youth Development
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Fitness Association
Recreation Nova Scotia
Sport Nova Scotia

District Health Authorities
School Boards and Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey

Acadia University
Cape Breton University
Dalhousie University
St. Francis Xavier University

Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre
Canadian Parks and Recreation Association
Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
Health Promotion Clearinghouse

Department of Community Services
Department of Education
Department of Health
Department of Natural Resources
Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations

Committees for 1) Regional Active Communities, 2) Municipal Physical Activity Leadership Program and 3) Health Promoting Schools

A variety of practitioners from a long list of sectors contribute to these three separate programs. Each committee has its unique composition of members. This can include municipal government, municipal recreation, provincial government, district health authorities, community health boards, school boards, schools, community services, policing, post-secondary institutions and youth organizations.

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Funding

There are various grants available to organizations needing financial assistance in their efforts to offer sport, active recreation and physical activity opportunities for children and youth:

Program Grants

• The Department of Health Promotion and Protection has various grants available to organizations who operate provincially, regionally or locally.
• Some Regional Active Communities and some municipalities offer modest grants.
• Some Community Health Boards offer Community Development Grants to groups and organizations.
• A few provincial programs associated with AKHK offer nominal funds to those who can contribute to the program in some way.

Funding for participants

Kidsport
A provincial charitable program that helps disadvantaged kids overcome the financial barriers limiting their participation in organized sport. The fund grants up to $300 per year per child under 19 years of age for registration and/or equipment.

Jumpstart
A national charitable program for kids ages 4 to 18 in financial need to participate in organized sports and recreation. The program is available throughout Nova Scotia.