Kids Run Club is a free school-based running program designed to give children and youth an opportunity to be active through running.
How Running Will Create A Healthier Tomorrow:
Physical Health
Running is an activity that can be a gateway for children and youth to a lifetime of active, healthy living. It can open up their minds to the importance of activity, and begin an early quest to understanding the importance of healthy eating and staying active. The skills and confidence running provide can lead to kids seeking other ways to stay active and ensuring they continue to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Mental Health
Running has the potential to not only improve physical health outcomes, but it helps boost mental health as well. Regular physical activity is associated with improved academic outcomes, self-esteem, stress management and overall well-being in children and youth.
Statistics Canada found that children reporting more time outdoors are more active, less sedentary, and less likely to have peer relationship problems compared with those who spent less time outdoors. Kids Run Club is striving to inspire more children and youth to spend time being active outside and less time being sedentary in front of a screen.
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to ensuring that Kids Run Club is an inclusive program offered throughout the province. Kids Run Club works hard to offer a program that can be implemented by all groups, with special attention given to supporting youth who tend to be disadvantaged in terms of physical activity opportunities.
One of the key strengths of Kids Run Club is it’s flexibility. We work with coaches to tailor the program so that participants of all ages and abilities can experience success in a variety of settings. Our emphasis on fun also makes it easier to attract kids and youth who tend to avoid sports and physical activity programs.
In 2011, we introduced a girls-only Kids Run Club for junior and senior high schools to addresses the gender-disparity in physical activity between girls and boys. This evidence-based program provides girls with an opportunity to increase their skills and confidence without the social pressures that often accompany being active with boys.
Kids Run Club also partners with First Nations schools and those working with students who have physical and cognitive challenges to create successful programs so that all students can experience the benefits of physical activity.
Kids Run Club’s flexibility means it can be offered to all children and youth in Nova Scotia in multiple settings.
Lasting Impact
The impact of Kids Run Club isn’t limited to our participants or to simply running. More than 70% of Kids Run Club members say they try to eat healthier foods after joining. And almost half of our participants said that one or more of their family members also started running as a result of them participating in Kids Run Club.