What's Involved?

WEEKLY DADS AND YOUNGSTERS SESSIONS (75 mins)

During these sessions dads and their youngsters spend quality time together participating in fun, engaging and educational activities that are beneficial for their physical and mental health. Each week has a different theme, introduced in a 20 minute session with dads and youngsters.

Session WEEKLY THEME

  1. Rough & Tumble Play
  2. Vegetables
  3. Physical Activity
  4. Fruit
  5. Screens
  6. Water
  7. Sport skills
  8. Summary

Practical Sessions (55 mins)

The practical sessions target 3 key areas each week – Rough and Tumble Play, Fundamental Movement Skills and Fun Fitness. Each of these 3 areas have a strong evidence base for optimising the physical and mental health of youngsters, also benefiting the dads!

1. ROUGH AND TUMBLE PLAY is fun, energetic wrestling based activities. Rough and tumble play allows youngsters to be physically active with their dad, take safe risks and use their strength and fitness to develop physical confidence and social-emotional regulation skills. It is generally vigorous in intensity and is the most requested and fun component of the program!

Evidence suggests that the organisation, development and neural control of play fighting or rough and tumble play during childhood can lead to the development of cognitive, emotional and social competency.

Pellis, S.M., & Pellis, V.C. (2007) Rough-and- Tumble Play and the Development of the Social Brain, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(2), 95-98.

2. FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS are the building blocks required to participate in most forms of physical activity. HYHD focusses on skills including kicking, catching, bouncing, striking and throwing which are foundation ball skills for a wide range of sporting activities. Research shows that children who are proficient in these basic fundamental movement skills are much more likely to be active, fit and have higher levels of physical self-esteem throughout adolescence and adulthood.

Fundamental movement skills (FMS) competency has been found to be positively associated with physical activity and a healthy weight status among children and adolescents.

Lubans, et al. (2010) Fundamental Movement Skills in Children and Adolescents: Review of Associated Health Benefits. Sports Medicine 40(12): 1019-1035.

3. FUN FITNESS based games and activities see dads and youngsters working together to increase their physical activity level and develop both aerobic and muscular fitness.

Dad's Only Sessions

During two separate 2-hour ‘dads-only’ sessions, fathers learn parenting strategies to improve their child’s sport skills, dietary behaviours, physical activity levels and social-emotional wellbeing. They are also taught how to engage in positive lifestyle role modelling to optimise their family’s health.

Program resources

  1. Dads and Youngsters Activity Handbook – Contains a range of activities for dads and youngsters to complete at home, matching each session theme. Activities include goal setting, sport skill practice, physical activity tracking and home challenge tasks. Youngsters earn stickers for completing the weekly tasks. The Handbook also contains a summary of the information presented during the two ‘dads-only’ Workshops.
  2. Youngsters t-shirt, carry bag and drink bottle
  3. Dad’s t-shirt and drink bottle

We are looking for dads and their youngsters

Are you a dad who wants to spend quality time with your child participating in fun physical activities, whilst learning how to improve their sport skills, health and wellbeing…along with your own?

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