The city of Vancouver had an interesting idea recently. There is plenty of talk about children becoming less active and suffering health and lifestyle effects. From rising rates of childhood diabetes and obesity to just mourning the loss of free play, it’s definitely a hot issue. But most groups point the finger elsewhere: at schools to squeeze in more physical education along with all the other curriculum needs; at parents to rush outside after work to get children moving; at extracurricular activities to keep kids busy.

Here’s the truth: modern society has created so many forms of work and entertainment that being physically active gets pushed to the side. Maybe it’s time for a deliberate rethink of how we spend our days. Even those wonderful extracurricular opportunities often require transportation and rushing around. But are we overlooking the simple activities just in front of us? That’s the basic premise of the Active Adventure Passport - initiated by Active Communities Vancouver.

Local athletes, particularly Olympians in consideration of the upcoming 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, visited elementary schools to launch the program in early 2009. Each child from kindergarten to grade 7 was given an individual “passport”. From February to June, there were many opportunities to complete different sections and receive stamps. The goal is to become at least 20% more active.

The activities have been wide-ranging, from simple to more complicated. Children were encouraged to walk or bike to school, play at recess, and explore local parks. The passport also included free family admission to any city-run pool and skating rink. The BC Sports Hall of Fame offered free admission to the family. To top it all off, there were ten Active Adventure Park Days organized. Hosted by parks and community centres across the city, each event offered opportunities to scale a climbing wall, race around obstacle courses, play team sports, try out stilt-walking and pogo sticks, juggle, skip, walk on bouncy moon shoes, and much more.

Part of the fun was experimenting with new ways of being active. Then there was the chance to visit new parks and centres. It’s a model that could be followed by most communities. After all, many places have diverse facilities - playgrounds, swimming pools, beaches, community centres, and more. These exist to serve the needs of the population. So people should use the services. And it’s a bonus to get kids moving while revitalizing the community. It can be as simple as an open game of soccer on the nearby playing field, starting an after-dinner game of tag, or taking a walk. Try a picnic and bike-ride combo. Using the local parks and facilities is a great start.

Photo credit: EOSXTi@Flickr.com