We hope you are healthy and safe during this global crisis.
By now, we trust you and your family have conquered social distancing and have figured out how to connect with friends and family via technology, rather than in person. But how do you and our kids stay active and safe in the midst of all this turmoil?
Our partners at the Aspen Institute issued an excellent new report online that offers lots of information related to virtual training, the psychology ramifications of going without team sports, the role youth sports will play in the recovery and many other important topics. In his cover note, Aspen Institute Sports and Society's Executive Director Tom Farrey raised this important point: "The last economic recession triggered a stunning drop in youth participation rates, from 45% playing team sports
regularly in 2008 to 38% by 2014." We can't have that happen again.
Rather than focusing on our traditional plays this month, we will be sharing a bunch of ideas for you to continue to play inside and safely outside here in Southeast Michigan.
Our fingers are crossed that things can return to normal soon.
In play,
Your Project Play Southeast Michigan Team
Some tips to keep up the activity level during COVID-19
Playworks Michigan: Play at Home
Kids need play to stay active and engaged with one another, and to support families and teachers. Playworks Michigan wants to share its expertise to help keep kids engaged in play during this time. Click here to seethe latest Playworks Play at Home Playbook! Check out one of their recess videos below.
Cosmic Yoga
Yoga is a great way to calm minds and strengthen bodies. Check out this YouTube channel for Cosmic Kids Yoga.
Free Play Challenge Play is important not only for the social and emotional development of our children, but also in the promotion of lifelong sport participation. Project Play Western NY developed the Free Play deck of cards to bring back some of the great street and backyard games of the 1970s and 1980s. Feel free to use these cards to encourage free play!
#natureisopen
Friends of the Rouge River has a new initiative to encourage people to go outside as a family and enjoy nature with a good hike. A great list complete with 360-degree photos of Southeast Michigan trails from SEMCOG is here. Don't forget to stay six feet away from non-family friends.
Keeping Kids Active As part of Project Play Southeast Michigan, we would like to continually pump out useful information to parents via this newsletter and social media channels about things they can do with their kids during this COVID-19 quarantine period. If you would like to share something your organization is doing virtually or see a good
article on this topic, please send it to jvanassche@cfsem.org. Also, if you are offering special resources to families to help them get through this crisis, please let us know.
Daily Recess Playworks Michigan (see above) will be broadcasting #PlayAtHome Recess live on Facebookat 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday. Tune in for stretching and warm-ups, interactive games, cheers, and cool down activities. An example for you to try out is below:
