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Working with children is an intergral part of the work that Sport Hawke's Bay undertakes in the community, and it starts before they reach school. A great deal of information exists about the development of children, and how the first years are crucially important.
Sport Hawke's Bay is keen to work with the youngsters in our community to ensure that they are provided with quality physical activity session and nutritional education that can help them to lead healthy, active lives. Let's start them young!
There are two major components to the Early Childhood role at Sport Hawke's Bay, made up of:
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Active Movement Programme:
Active Movement is a Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) initiative promoting quality physical movement experiences for children under five. The Active Movement Programme looks to up skill and support teachers, parents and caregivers by raising the awareness of the importance of quality movement experiences in the early years. |
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Healthy Heart Award
The Healthy Heart Award is an innovative programme run by the National Heart Foundation, that supports Early Childhood educators in promoting healthy food and Active Movement to under fives, and their families. Sport Hawke's Bay supports Early Childhood centres that are registered with Healthy Heart Award, to encourage and assist them to meet the award criteria. |
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What is Active Movement?
Active Movement – Koringa Hihiko is engaging in quality physical movement experiences which enhance the spiritual, emotional, cognitive and physiological growth of children.
The Early Childhood Physical Activity Reference Group developed the term in recognition of the impact of positive and appropriate early movement experiences on the way infants, toddlers and young children learn, grow and participate in physical activity.
Active movement is important for the healthy development of a child's brain - young children learn from movement and being physically active. Active movement also discourages health problems such as diabetes and obesity, and helps build tomorrow's athletes.
Active movement is just as important for newborns as it is for older children. By helping your child to get active, you help their body to develop, you help them to learn and to feel safe, and you show them they are loved. |
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RESOURCES
As part of the Active Movement initiative Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) has produced some fantastic resources:
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An Introduction to Active Movement
Also the Active Movement 14 Activity Guides for children under five. These guides help with ideas on how to incorporate quality physical activity into your children's lives.
They cover areas such as tummy time, walking running and jumping, balance, catching, throwing and kicking.
Available in English, Maori, Samoan, Tongan and Chinese. |
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Active Movement Activity Guides for Children Under 5 (set of 14)
With titles such as "Developing Hands and Fingers", "Catching, Throwing and Kicking" and "Massage and Touch" the brochures cover a variety of early childhood development topics.
These brochures are available in English and Maori, and are free of charge. English versions can be downloaded from the SPARC website.
Alternatively, a boxed set (in either English, Maori, Samoan, Tongan and Chinese) can be ordered from the Development Officer - Early Childhood using the details below. |
Active Movement in Water is a national campaign that was launched in early 2007. The Active Movement in Water for Early Childhood programme aims to provide opportunities for under-fives to develop fundamental movement skills and foundation aquatic skills. Active Movement in water is important because it stimulates the senses, develops fundamental movement skills and develops readiness for learning to swim.
Active Movement in Water is still in the initial stages of being rolled out through New Zealand. Click here for more information on the initiative and to order Active Movement in Water resources.
For more information on Active Movement, Healthy Heart Award or anything relating to the Early Childhood sector at Sport Hawke's Bay, please contact
Click here to view the latest Early Childhood newsletter.
Click here for more information about the Junior Sector (Primary and Intermediate Schools) at Sport Hawke's Bay
Click here for more information about the Secondary School sector at Sport Hawke's Bay.
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