In February 2023, Active Cranbrook Physical Literacy Society (Active Cranbrook) began hearing from teachers, child care providers and recreational leaders that “young children are entering kindergarten with poor gross motor movement skills such as running, kicking, throwing and receiving objects,” stated Sandi Lavery, (MPE and Chair of Active Cranbrook).

Children are not developing basic fundamental movement skills which are required in physical literacy proficiency to set them up for a future healthy lifestyle.

Various health authorities in B.C., as well as schools and municipalities across Canada, are working hard to get the word out about “physical literacy” and its importance in a child’s and youth’s development (social, emotional, cognitive, and physical health domain’s). According to Active for Life Canada, “physical literacy is when kids develop the physical skills, self-confidence and love of movement to be physically active for life.”

College of the Rockies Kinesiology Coordinator/Instructor Jodie Pickering reiterates that “preschool children need to be confident in sending objects (balls, bean bags etc.) away from their bodies, and receiving objects confidently with their hands and feet. These skills begin early in development with regular exposure to active play indoors and outdoors.”

Active Cranbrook designed the Preschool Action Kits to have resources and information that assist families with young children to learn and try new ideas to do this.

Active Cranbrook volunteers collaborated with Community Connections Society of Southeast BC, which hosts the East Kootenay Child Care Resource & Referral (EKCCRR) program that is funded through the Ministry of Education and Child Care.

EKCCRR and Active Cranbrook further researched how they could reach more families by creating free resources and ideas to improve physical literacy in our city and region. This led to the design and development of the “Preschool Action Kits” for child care providers and young families to enhance fundamental movement skills in preschool children.

The “2023 Community Foundations Grant” funded the development of six Family Kits, and two Child Care Group Preschool Action Kits that have a variety of resources (current information for families and providers) and different pieces of equipment that develop physical literacy engagement for borrowers of the EKCCRR FREE Toy/Resource Lending Library.

During a summer professional development workshop, both Lavery and Pickering stated that children need to build agility, balance, and coordination skills from active play activities to gain competence and confidence in their abilities.

The Preschool Action Kits are created and designed by Active Cranbrook to give child care providers and families ideas to create fun activities that will develop all these skills for children. The staff who participated in this workshop, as well as additional workshops offered by the EKCCRR staff have been successful in enhancing physical literacy and understanding in young children.

The ‘Preschool Action Kits’ can be borrowed for free by child care facilities and families who are registered with the EKCCRR Toy Lending Library, from throughout the East Kootenay (Cranbrook and Area, Kimberley and Area, Creston Valley, Elk Valley, and Columbia Valley).

The EKCCRR Toy Lending Library is in Cranbrook across from the Cranbrook Mall and Safeway where people could check out the Toy Lending Library which has these kits and many other kits free of charge once you register with them. EKCCRR can be contacted at 250-426-5677 or 1-800-661-2445 or [email protected] Monday – Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

The Preschool Action Kits are also promoted on Active Cranbrook’s Website: activecranbrook.ca

Photos submitted

Active Cranbrook Physical Literacy Society

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