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EXERCISE Program
"Gettin' Started"
By Emma Campbell ( Occupational Therapist- IUIH)
Gettin’ Started is a 30 minute morning games/physical activities based program for year 4+ students. The program aims to support the children to get ready for the day ahead (“Gettin’ Started” as Jakita, a graduate from the Murri School trainee program called it) through fun games that integrate sensory-motor preparation, physical activity, and social-emotional development goals. Program objectives include:
1) to prepare for the day at school including:
a) Sensory-motor activities (esp. deep pressure – calming) – classroom preparationb) Sensory awareness – body awareness/attending to responses to sensationc) Routine – to start the day with a familiar routine
d) Social-emotional development – positive interactions with peers and emotional regulation (greater awareness of different emotions, calming/alerting sensory input, setting up opportunities to prompt social problem solving with peers, and cooperation, listening, turn taking, and help seeking behaviours throughout)
1) to prepare for the day at school including:
a) Sensory-motor activities (esp. deep pressure – calming) – classroom preparationb) Sensory awareness – body awareness/attending to responses to sensationc) Routine – to start the day with a familiar routine
d) Social-emotional development – positive interactions with peers and emotional regulation (greater awareness of different emotions, calming/alerting sensory input, setting up opportunities to prompt social problem solving with peers, and cooperation, listening, turn taking, and help seeking behaviours throughout)
2) To promote healthy behaviours including:
a) Healthy eating
i. Incorporating healthy eating ideas into the activities (e.g. fruit and vegie names for group names, playing fruit salad, offering incentives such as apples in the program)
ii. Reinforcing healthy eating messages (e.g. asking who had breakfast this morning and encouraging that)
iii. Encouraging the children to eat a healthy snack after exercise
iv. Encouraging children to drink water
a) Healthy eating
i. Incorporating healthy eating ideas into the activities (e.g. fruit and vegie names for group names, playing fruit salad, offering incentives such as apples in the program)
ii. Reinforcing healthy eating messages (e.g. asking who had breakfast this morning and encouraging that)
iii. Encouraging the children to eat a healthy snack after exercise
iv. Encouraging children to drink water
b)
Exercise/physical activity
i. Activities that include shortness of breath for approximately 15 minutes
ii. Activities that include 5 minutes of balance and/or coordination challenges (e.g. throwing/catching objects of different sizes, balance beam exercise, wobble board competitions etc)
The Gettin’ Started program is facilitated by OT students (Uni Friends) in collaboration with teachers, occupational therapists, exercise physiologists, dietitians, and exercise physiology students. Some of the primary school activities include Warm-Fuzzie Games (positive affirmations), games that allow for deep pressure input (e.g. crab-walk-soccer, wheelbarrow races), and coordination challenges such as obstacle courses. The high school students did warm-up activities including ball games, yoga, planking competitions, and running. They then played a team game (e.g. touch football, dodge-ball) in the second half of the session each day.
i. Activities that include shortness of breath for approximately 15 minutes
ii. Activities that include 5 minutes of balance and/or coordination challenges (e.g. throwing/catching objects of different sizes, balance beam exercise, wobble board competitions etc)
The Gettin’ Started program is facilitated by OT students (Uni Friends) in collaboration with teachers, occupational therapists, exercise physiologists, dietitians, and exercise physiology students. Some of the primary school activities include Warm-Fuzzie Games (positive affirmations), games that allow for deep pressure input (e.g. crab-walk-soccer, wheelbarrow races), and coordination challenges such as obstacle courses. The high school students did warm-up activities including ball games, yoga, planking competitions, and running. They then played a team game (e.g. touch football, dodge-ball) in the second half of the session each day.
An observation table looked at the children’s physical, social, mental, and communication skills before and after the program. While some changes would be expected even without participation in the program (e.g. mental development overtime); however, some of the changes (e.g. increased balance, coordination, cooperation, and negotiation with peers) were skills that were specifically practiced in the program. Children showed improvements ranging from 2.5 percent to 32.5 percent by the end of their participation in Gettin’ Started. (Graph reference: Rachel Gibson, Candice Swart, Grace Manning, and Jordan McCullogh. Occupational Therapy Students, University of Queensland, 2014)
Under Construction
- Athletics Carnivals
- Swimming Carnivals
- Primary School Athletics
- Primary School Netball
- Regional Rugby League Carnival