Christmas Time: Affordable Active Games!

I previously wrote a blog about physical education teachers promoting active games over sedentary video game play as potential Christmas presents for children. I would like to simply extend that post and suggest just a few specific active games that are affordable, feasible, and easy to use:

Dance Dance Revolution - Multiple webistes provide multiple a variety of games and pads to fit your financial desire.
Nintento Wii Games - Sports, Resorts, Fit, etc...
Microsoft Kinect
Gamercize Steppers - compatible with multiple video game consoles (PS3, XBox 360, Nintendo Wii)
Virtual Bikes - A variety of video game bikes that offer residential pricing.
Xavix games - boxing, jackie chan, tennis

As quality physical education teachers - we need to make sure we are promoting healthy alternatives to the sedentary lifestyles in which many of our children are engaging in everyday.Suggest active games - not the traditional sedentary game! Inform parents, administration, and other teachers. It is a simply solution to replace sedentary screen time with more active play.

Active Gaming in Yahoo!News

Recently, Yahoo!News produced a nice article and video regarding active gaming and physical education. I really enjoyed this article and video because active gaming and traditional physical activity were not compared as one being "good" or "bad". Often, the media produces articles leading the reader to be persuaded that either active gaming is the "new pe" or that the "old pe" (more traditional play) is still the best strategy for physical education teachers to employ and video games are the enemy to this generation. What is hard for many to understand is that a key to appropriately implementing active gaming in physical education is to use these modern activities as a tool to assist students in accomplishing learning objectives. Active gaming is aligned with what our children desire and enjoy; however, these technologies should never be seen as a replacement for fitness and skill development.

Dominique Dawes, a former U.S Olympic gymnast, joined Yahoo!News and myself at one of the USF active gaming research labs located in a local elementary school. Dominique had a blast learning about active gaming and playing with the students. Once she was able to experience the games, hear and see the students' excitement, and witness her own heart rate being quickly elevated while playing, Dominique began to understand why active gaming can certainly be an appropriate tool for physical education teachers to use in their programs. Read the full article here.

Integrating Active Gaming in the Classroom

Integration of academic material into the physical education classroom OR physical education content into the academic classroom is a well known strategy that quality physical educations teachers are not only aware of but do try to incorporate into the school curriculum. Considering 65% of children do NOT recieve any physical activity outside of school hours, it only seems appropriate that the physical education teachers get on board and begin advocating for more physical activity time during the school day. A major issue is that many administrators and classroom teachers believe more seat time is better and more effective. Unfortunately, recent research suggests this is simply not the case. Active Kids are Healthier Kids...Bottom Line!

Children that are moving more frequently during the day are proven to spend more time on task and consequently learn more efficiently. Is there something I am missing or should we not be getting our children up and moving throughout the day to improve learning....The No Child Left Behind Act is going to be left behind if we continue forcing children to be sedentary throughout the school day!

At the University of South Florida, researchers have started investigating the use of active games in the academic classroom. Active games are used as stations in the classroom before and after school, during bell work, after assignments are complete, and to "control" behavior issues. The teachers and students suggest the games are fun, effective in controlling off task behavior,and...guess what? Children are actually LEARNING!

Incorporating active video game play in the academic classroom is a great way for physical education teachers to integrate physical activity throughout the school day to accomodate for a lack of physical education time. There are many economical and appropriate active games (Gamercize, Dance Dance Revolution, Footgaming, etc.) that can easily be used in the computer lab or in the classroom as a station that encourages teachers to let children move while learning! If the children and teachers like it, AND learning occurs - why would we not want to encourage it?

Active Kids are Healthier Kids! Active Gaming is FUN, HEALTHY, and EFFECTIVE!