Policy: Physical Activity, Outdoor Play and Learning, and Screen Time
Policies help clarify program practices.
The best practices (per GO NAPSACC) and the related resources in this section focus on developing and implementing policies at your child care program that will ensure that staff and families have the same understanding of program nutrition requirements and procedures. To achieve this, it is important that all employees understand and follow the same policies. Written policies are also helpful when explaining to parents how your program operates.
Best Practices
Select each GO NAPSACC best practice goal below to find related resources.
"There is a written policy on physical activity that includes a variety of topics related to the amount of time provided to children for physical activity and ways that children are encouraged to be physically active."
Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
Summary: A guide for creating policies including rationale, steps for creating policies, and policy recommendations.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Early Care and Education Nutrition and Physical Activity Guide
Summary: Designed for community champions who want to build or strengthen nutrition and physical activity in their early childhood programs. Find practical steps, examples, and tools for getting started.
Source: Michigan University State Extension
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the appropriate assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: Nutrition toolkit that describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply the tips to a child care program for children ages 2 through 5 years old. See pages 63-71.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Physical Activity Toolkit for Preschool-Aged Children
Summary: A guide for early care and education centers to integrate and increase children’s physical activity throughout the day. Resources include planning and scheduling tools, sample activities, skill cards, do-it-yourself equipment tips, policy templates, and no-cost education resources.
Source: California Department of Public Health
Sample Child Care Physical Activity Policy
Summary: Example of a child care physical activity policy. It outlines the amount of expected daily play, roles of staff members, screen time, and appropriate clothing, and discipline.
"The program has a written policy on outdoor play and learning that includes a variety of topics related to the amount of outdoor playtime provided and ways to ensure that children can take full advantage of this time."
Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
Summary: A guide for creating policies including rationale, steps for creating policies, and policy recommendations.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Caring for Our Children Basics
Summary: Outlines a set of voluntary, foundational health and safety standards for early care and education programs. Based on best practices, these standards are designed to help protect children and support their healthy development in child care settings.
Source: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, Administration for Children and Families
Early Care and Education Nutrition and Physical Activity Guide
Summary: Designed for community champions who want to build or strengthen nutrition and physical activity in their early childhood programs. Find practical steps, examples, and tools for getting started.
Source: Michigan University State Extension
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the appropriate assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: Nutrition toolkit that describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply the tips to a child care program for children ages 2 through 5 years old. See pages 63-71.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Physical Activity Toolkit for Preschool-Aged Children
Summary: A guide for early care and education centers to integrate and increase children’s physical activity throughout the day. Resources include planning and scheduling tools, sample activities, skill cards, do-it-yourself equipment tips, policy templates, and no-cost education resources.
Source: California Department of Public Health
Sample Child Care Physical Activity Policy
Summary: Example of a child care physical activity policy. It outlines the amount of expected daily play, roles of staff members, screen time, and appropriate clothing, and discipline.
"There is a written policy on screen time that includes a variety of topics related to the program's screen time practices and communicating screen time recommendations to teachers, staff, and families."
Action Guide: For Child Care Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies
Summary: A guide for creating policies including rationale, steps for creating policies, and policy recommendations.
Source: Connecticut State Department of Education
Early Care and Education Nutrition and Physical Activity Guide
Summary: Designed for community champions who want to build or strengthen nutrition and physical activity in their early childhood programs. Find practical steps, examples, and tools for getting started.
Source: Michigan University State Extension
Go Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC) Bilingual Self-Assessments
Summary: Free for providers. Contacting a consultant and completing the online version of the appropriate assessment opens a suite of planning, learning, professional development, and implementation tools to understand further what the best practices are and how to make them happen in your child care.
Source: Go Nutritional and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (Go NAPSACC)
Healthy Kids, Healthy Future
Summary: This part of the website, under the "Reduce Screen Time" section, includes facts about and tips for reducing screen time. Find activities for children and resources for adults, including handouts, trainings, alternative sleep strategies, and guidance on appropriate use of technology.
Source: The Nemours Foundation
Model Policies for Creating a Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Environment in Child Care Settings
Summary: Nutrition toolkit that describes model policies and provides tips to on how to fulfill them.
Source: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Community Food and Nutrition Assistance
Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children
Summary: Collection of tip sheets for nutrition and physical activity. Each tip sheet focuses on a specific topic and includes a practical application section to help apply the tips to a child care program for children ages 2 through 5 years old. See pages 63-71.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
Policy Brief on Early Learning and Use of Technology
Summary: This is a policy brief about the early learning and use of technology with specific reasons and policies around the use of different types of technology and the use of them in early learning.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Sample Child Care Physical Activity Policy
Summary: Example of a child care physical activity policy. It outlines the amount of expected daily play, roles of staff members, screen time, and appropriate clothing, and discipline.
Source: South Carolina Early Child Care and Education
Screen Time Reduction Toolkit for Child Care Providers
Summary: Includes tips to reduce screen time, letter to parents, tips to reduce screen time, games to reduce screen time. Policy Examples are provided on page 8.
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