1. How Do You Move?

Ask students the following exploratory questions to get them thinking about physical activity.

• What does it feel like when you run around or jump up and down?
• What are your favorite activities that make your heart beat fast?
• How many different ways can you move your body?
• How many minutes of exercise should you get each day? (Target Answer: At least 60 minutes.)

Explain to students that being active is one of the best things they can do to keep their bodies strong—and feeling good, too! And it can be done in many ways—not just through playing sports. Getting up and moving is what it’s all about! Physical activity makes your heart beat fast, pumps fresh blood to your legs, fingers, toes, keeps your body healthy, and helps give you the energy to do the things you love to do. Physical activity also makes you sick less often, makes you feel happier, helps you focus in school, wakes you up in the morning, and helps you sleep at night.

Write a list of these benefits on the board. Read them aloud and have students repeat after you. At the end, have students turn and talk to a partner and tell them one good thing that physical activity does.

2. Classroom Collection.

As a class, create a list of students’ favorite “movement” activities. Use the idea starters below, or have students brainstorm other moves or actions that they can act out.

Rise and Shine Idea Starters:

• Morning Wiggle: Challenge students to stand in place and wiggle! The only rule is that feet have to stay on the ground, but students can be as creative as they want with movements while standing in place!
• Be a Tree! Students can stretch and “grow” like a tree… starting as a sapling and slowly reaching up to the sky • Waking Up Yoga: Done seated or standing, challenge students to begin in a relaxed, “sleeping” posture and slowly “wake up” each body part, stretching and becoming aware of different body parts and gaining balance
• Classroom Safari: Ask students what their favorite animal is. Then challenge them to act or walk like different animals!

Have students transfer the list onto separate papers and store them in a canister or small Rise and Shine box that the students can decorate. At every opportunity, have a volunteer pull out an activity slip to launch a Rise and Shine chores! break—at Circle Time, in between other lessons/activities, on rainy days, etc.

After a Rise and Shine break, ask: How do you feel now? Can you tell that you are more awake and energized? That’s what moving is all about—it helps keep your body healthy, and helps you feel great!

Modification:

Turn it into a short game of charades for extra engagement!