Rediscovering play time with NFL health initiative
More than 12,000 Bay Area students from 200 schools have agreed to make healthy eating and physical fitness a bigger part of their day through a program called the NFL PLAY 60 Challenge.
In conjunction with Super Bowl 50, the NFL-sponsored program encourages kids everywhere to get out and move more. And with thousands of area students signing up this year, it makes it the biggest challenge the program has seen yet, said Jason Trimiew, Super Bowl 50 Host Committee vice president of community.
The NFL PLAY 60 Challenge is multi-faceted, offering funding for schools wanting to start healthy living programs and an online resource for students, teachers and families.
Children are encouraged to check out the online “Playbook” for strategies that will help them not only improve their own health, but jump start clubs and activities at their school. The Playbook challenges are designed to be student-led and include ideas like starting an NFL-inspired flag football club or helping their school start a “farmto-school” program to bring fresh, local foods to their cafeteria.
According to the NFL PLAY 60 website, organizers hope the program empowers students to become leaders in their schools and hometowns and gain life skills like working as a team and choosing healthy foods.
The 50 Fund and NFL Foundation’s joint initiative PLAY 60, Play On also encourages children and their communities to think about where children can play, how they play and why they play. Trimiew said the PLAY 60, Play On initiative is important because it connects the NFL with several established play and movement programs.
“It was an opportunity to anchor the NFL’s successful campaign to get kids active for at least 60 minutes a day to the nation's leading play move- ments,” he said.
For example, using the hashtag #PlayEverywhere, NFL PLAY 60 and KaBOOM!, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all kids get a childhood filled with active play, encourage communities to consider making everyday spaces like the grocery store or subway a space to play.
This could mean anything from adding hopscotch square to the floor of a grocery store, to building activities at a corner where kids may wait to cross the street.
The 50 Fund and the NFL Foundation have also partnered with Playworks, an organization encouraging kids to play daily in a way that promotes inclusion, builds empathy and reduces bullying.
A growing body of evidence indicates that students with access to better nutrition and physical activity in school have higher levels of school achievement, according to the NFL PLAY 60 website.
But the program isn’t just for schools. Parents and families are encouraged to participate as well.
Here are a few ways PLAY 60 suggests parents and families get in on the action:
Walk: Walking is a great form of exercise and easy to fit in throughout the day. Encourage children to walk or bike to school with an accompanying adult or help your child start a walking club for teachers, students and staff.
Partner up: Help your child find community groups and organizations such as a parks and city recreation departments that offers physical activity opportuni- ties outside regular school hours.
According to a 2012 report by Active Living Research, students and families who have access to a school’s fields or play areas outside school time are more likely to be active and stay active.
Dance, dance, dance: Set up a series of fun dance activities, start a dance club or host a dance party after school. Parents can find easy-to-learn dance routines online or encourage children to make up moves as they go.
Get competitive: Start a friendly teacher competition for the educators at your child’s school. Encourage them to track their physical activity and post it on a bulletin board for students to see.
“It was an opportunity to anchor the NFL’s successful campaign to get kids active for at least 60 minutes a day to the nation's leading play movements.” Jason Trimiew, Super Bowl 50 Host Committee vice president of community