Free toolkit addresses declining physical activity in Ontario classrooms

Researchers at Western University have created a free toolkit to address declining physical activity in Ontario classrooms.

The Ontario government currently mandates that elementary students receive at least 20 minutes of physical activity each school day however, a recent western study found only 23 per cent of teachers in the province were achieving that goal.

Western professor Babara fenesi led the project called, 'Daily physical activity toolkit'. The kit is a one-stop shop that combines hundreds of physical activity resources into a single website.

After surveying more than 300 elementary teachers who used the toolkit between January and March, 2023 researchers found teachers were able to nearly double the average amount of physical activity they implemented in classrooms each week.

Teachers also reported a significant boost to their own confidence and enjoyment in physical activity.