Young children should learn to enjoy physical activity. They should participate in developmentally appropriate activities that help them develop movement competence, and they should be encouraged to participate in vigorous and unstructured play. As students get older the structure of activity tends to increase and the opportunities for participation in different types of activity increase. Students should develop an awareness of those opportunities and they should be encouraged to participate in a broad range of activities. Cognitive understanding develops from an initial awareness of activity's effects on the body to an increased understanding of the role of physical activity on the body and on social opportunities, relationships and emotional well-being.
Students come to understand the meaning of a healthy lifestyle.
Achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness. This Foundational Objective encourages the achievement of physical fitness for good health. Students should increase their basic fitness levels and physical competence. Expectations for students fitness levels should be established on a personal basis, taking into account variation in entry levels rather than setting a single standard for all children at a given grade level. For elementary children, the emphasis is on an awareness of fitness components and having fun while participating in health-enhancing activities that promote physical fitness.