Come Out and Play Starter Set
Come Out and Play (COAP) is a robust 8-week evidence-based curriculum designed for schools, community centers, parks and recreation agencies, and youth groups to create a culture of play using the great outdoors. COAP is easy and fun to implement—and customizable for your specific community. The program is designed to encourage students to get 60 minutes of aerobic activity every day (9,000 steps) and to set their own daily step goal in personal Activity Records, giving them control over their own physical activity. COAP focuses on youth empowerment, goal setting, motivation and community engagement.
COAP offers the instructor the ability to evaluate physical fitness with pre- and post- measurements. You can review this COAP training presentation to get a deeper understanding of what this exciting program has to offer.
Developed by the Michigan Recreation & Park Association, COAP was designed for youth ages 6-12. The program has been implemented successfully with youth ages 5-17. As a flexible and modifiable program, COAP is appropriate for a wide range of ages.
Included in the Starter Set:
Facilitator's Manual: The step-by-step user manual to implement COAP is designed to be as user-friendly as possible. The manual explains how, where, when and why to implement the COAP program. Included in the manual are:
- Lessons (3) – Lessons introduce students to COAP by emphasizing the health benefits of 60 minutes of physical activity daily (9,000 steps), orienting students to using pedometers to track their physical activity and explaining physical activity and good health.
- Activities (50) – Fun daily activities get children moving and build strong hearts, muscles and bones.
- Quests (7) – The family component in COAP is critical to engage youth and their families to be active. Quests encourage families to complete various challenges and games in their local neighborhoods, parks and green spaces. Quests were developed for broad use at schools, parks or trails in either rural or urban settings.
- Make-and-Plays (8) – Weekly “make-and-plays” add an arts and craft component to COAP. Students make or create the basis of physical activities to be played later that day or week.
USB Drive: Features clear instructor training presentation, assessment videos, a weekly step tracker, and testing protocols.
Activity Records & Stickers: Activity records are a fun and interactive way for youth to track their steps during COAP and at home with family and friends. The records have placeholders for youth to mark their progress during the COAP program. (For 25 participants.)
25 Pedometers: Equipment for students to keep track of their daily steps.
Though designed to show impact after 8-weeks, COAP can also operate as a continuous program. With over 50 activities, each with at least 2 modifiers, the program really provides over 100 different activities for youth. You can review this COAP training presentation to get a deeper understanding of what this exciting program has to offer.
