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Media Release

November 11, 2004

UniSA students showing kids that fitness is fun

University of South Australia (UniSA) education students are promoting active play and tackling the issue of childhood obesity head on this Friday November 12 by hosting a day of fun and physical activity for hundreds of preschoolers from across Adelaide.

UniSA Early Childhood Education students in fitness fun mode

Part of the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation’s (ACHPER) Physical Education Week, UniSA education lecturer Jeff Meiners and a group of 38 final year early childhood education students are holding a fitness Fun Day for children aged three to five at UniSA’s Magill Campus.

Taking preschoolers on a journey through different physical activities – including throwing and catching, jumping, climbing, dance and movement – the fun day aims to encourage young children to be active, develop skills and enjoy physical fitness.

“Physical activity is essential to healthy living and personal well-being,” says Jeff Meiners.

“If young children learn that fitness can be lots of fun early on, they are more likely to carry this through their life.”

And ACHPER-SA Executive Officer, Matt Schmidt, couldn’t agree more. He says that in conjunction with Physical Education Week, the fun day helps promote active and healthy young people and that this is “the best investment we can make for the future.”

All aspects of the event are organised by final year UniSA education students. The students all participated in the design of the fitness circuit and activities, and then moved into groups to take on different responsibilities, such as project planning and management or setting up and leading the activities.

“We used the skills and techniques we learned throughout our entire degree to help plan the physical activities, and then we concentrated on a particular aspect of running an exciting and busy event such as this,” said early childhood education student Kay Elven.

“It’s been a wonderful, fun learning experience for us and we hope it is for the children as well.”

Emphasising the benefits of regular exercise and celebrating its 20th year, Physical Education Week is the most extensive program of its kind in Australia and an important event on the South Australian school calendar.

EARLY CHILDHOOD (PRESCHOOL) FUN DAY
Friday November 12, 2004
UniSA Magill Campus
9.30 – 10.30am
10.30 – 11.30am

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