Physical activity and education

Move it Outside

Move it Outside - Organize team

In order to host a successful Move It Outside event, it helps to organize a team to assist with the planning and execution. An ideal team consists of six to ten individuals and can include anyone who is willing to support your event. 

Following is a suggested list of planning team members, broken out by celebration location, and the roles each team member can fulfill to plan a successful Move It Outside event.

At School or Recreation Center

Teacher or Rec Center Program Staff:

  • Lead morning (or afternoon) announcements with facts about the importance of outdoor activities
  • Have students develop their own games that they can participate in during Move It Outside
  • Teach your class about the importance of physical activity

Physical Education Teacher or Rec Center Program Staff:

  • Make up fun games that students can participate in during phys ed class or designated activity times
  • Set up a week-long Ultimate Frisbee® tournament among students
  • Hold a field day for the entire school
  • Set up stations outside to encourage students to try different games. See Celebration Ideas (PDF) for more Frisbee® game ideas.

School Nurse or Nutritionist:

  • Give students physical fitness tests, and hand out flyers about why physical activity is so important
  • Pick an activity from Celebration Ideas (available under Plan Event) to do with each class
  • Ask youth to decorate your door with hand-made pictures/posters depicting their favorite outdoor activity

PTO/PTA or other Parent Group:

  • Hold a Move It Outside activity night for students, parents and siblings
  • Send a letter home to parents about your school's Move It Outside celebration and how they can become involved too (template letter available under Promote Event)
  • Host a bar-b-q for the students during lunch, and encourage them to play outside
  • Hold an outdoor "minutes in motion" competition and ask students to keep an outdoor activity log. Reward the class who logs the most activity minutes with an outdoor-related prize, e.g., extra-long recess.

rincipal or Rec Center Director:

  • Support this event by being interested and talking to youth about active living and the importance of physical activity
  • Promote your organization's event to businesses by attending local Rotary or Chamber of Commerce meetings and encourage local business/community support
  • Approach a local sporting goods store or outdoor entertainment facility (miniature golf, batting cages, etc.) and ask them to donate a prize package to be raffled off to the student who logs the most outdoor activity minutes during National Turn Off the TV Week

In the Community

Local Sporting Goods Store:

  • Donate Frisbee®'s to the school for Move It Outside celebrations
  • Approach a school/recreation center/business and offer to do a demonstration of Ultimate Frisbee®

Local Park or Trail:

  • Approach a school/recreation center/business and offer to organize an outdoor hike or walk

Local Conservation Group:

  • Approach a school/recreation center/business and offer to host a class on the importance of environmental conservation or "leave no trace"

Local Civic Leaders/Mayors/County Commissioners:

  • Declare "Move It Outside Day" in your community
  • Work with local news organizations to publicize a Move It Outside Day proclamation/resolution
  • Identify "active zones" in your community

At Home

Families:

  • Reinforce the Move It Outside message your child(ren) is learning in school/recreation center by:

At Work

Wellness Committee:

  • Organize a walking group before or after work, or at lunch
  • Include an article about Move It Outside in your employee newsletter
  • Hold an outdoor "minutes in motion" competition and ask employees (and/or departments) to keep an outdoor activity log during the week of Move it Outside. Reward the employee/department who logs the most activity minutes with an outdoor-related prize

“Teens from the high school came to our primary school and ran a variety of Frisbee activities including Frisbee baseball, Frisbee golf, Frisbee bocce, and Frisbee bowling. It was a fun, successful day.”

Eloise Riesle
Wallenpaupack North Primary
Wayne/Pike County