• Physical Activity for Children: Current Patterns and Guidelines, Research Digest Series 5, No. 2. President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. 

• Michigan Department of Community Health's Healthy Schools Web Site

• Is there a difference between Physical Education and Physical Activity?
The answer is YES!
Physical Activity is bodily movement of any type and may include recreational, fitness, and sport activities as well as daily activities such as raking leaves.
Physical Education provides physical activity to all children and teaches them the skills and knowledge needed to establish and sustain an active lifestyle.

• Healthy School Action Tool (HSAT)
The HSAT is an online assessment tool. Use the HSAT to assist your school in identifying its current strengths and need areas and to get ideas for meaningful change. Assess one or more of these topic areas: Asthma Management, Healthy Eating & Nutrition, Physical Activity & Physical Education, Tobacco-Free Lifestyles, and Violence and Injury Prevention.

• The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Physical Activity Fact Sheet

• Aces - All Children Exercising Simultaneously
Each May, millions of school children all over the globe will exercise simultaneously in a symbolic gesture of fitness and unity.

• Brain Breaks
Brain Breaks are physical activities that teach or reinforce concepts in the content areas. They are a great way to encourage physical activity and enhance learning in the classroom!

• Energizers
Energizers are classroom based physical activities that integrate physical activity with academic concepts.

• Let's Take a Break
Physical activity ideas for the classroom teacher.

• Mind and Body: Activities for the Classroom

• Policy on Quality Physical Education
The State Board of Education passed this recommendation in 2003. The second page contains guidelines on unstructured physical activity during the school day.

• American School Health Association's resolution in support of daily recess for all students

• No Break Today!

• Playground Pass Creates Recess Success!

• Recess & Importance of Play: A Position Statement on Young Children and Recess from the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education

• Recess for Elementary School Students, a position paper from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education

• Recess Before Lunch Can Mean Happier, Healthier Kids

• Action For Healthy Kids Flyer on Recess Before Lunch

• Montana School Recess Before Lunch Guidebook
Recess Before Lunch is simply a change in the traditional scheduling order of lunchtime and recess. As the name implies, RBL allows students to go to recess first, and then eat lunch. While it sounds simple in theory, schools often find that this policy change requires careful planning and efficient communication, as well as a strong commitment from school administrators, educators, and food service staff to make the change successful.

• Sample Playground Teacher's Recess Procedures from the American Association for the Child's Right to Play

• The American Association for the Child's Right to Play
The purpose of the American Association for the Child's Right to Play (IPA USA) is to protect, preserve, and promote play as a fundamental right for all humans. Play makes possible maximum development of self and society by facilitating creativity, individuality, and social, physical, and intellectual growth.

• Education World

• KidsWalk-to-School
To support the national goal of better health through physical activity, CDC's Nutrition and Physical Activity Program has developed KidsWalk-to-School. This is a community-based program that aims to increase opportunities for daily physical activity by encouraging children to walk to and from school in groups accompanied by adults. The goals of KidsWalk-to-School are to:

• Encourage children to walk and bicycle to and from school.
• Increase awareness of the importance of regular physical activity for children, improved pedestrian safety, and healthy and walkable community environments.
• Mobilize communities to work together to create safe routes to school.

• SR2S - Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School (SR2S) is an international movement - and now a federal program - to make it safe, convenient, and fun for children to bicycle and walk to school. A federal Safe Routes to School program was authorized as part of the surface transportation bill signed into law in August 2005. As a result, every state now has dedicated dollars to help with infrastructure improvements (e.g., new sidewalks and traffic calming projects) and non-infrastructure activities to encourage and enable students to walk and bicycle to school.

• Co-Curricular Physical Activity and Sport Programs for Middle School Students - a position paper from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education

• Guidelines for After-School Physical Activity and Intramural Sport Programs - a position paper from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education

• Staff wellness ideas for meetings, breaks, and staying healthy

• Staff wellness ideas provided by teachers for teachers

• School Employee Wellness: A Guide for Protecting the Assets of Our Nation's Schools
A comprehensive guide that provides information, practical tools, and resources for school employee wellness programs.

• Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Healthy Lifestyle!
This site is specifically designed for parents and caregivers to provide information to help you eat better, be more physically active, and be a role model for your kids. Click here for a one page Celebrate Physical Activity Sheet for May!