COVID-19 brings a flood of international attention to Canadian parenting website

COCHRANE, AB, April 5, 2020 /CNW/ - During this unprecedented time of school closures, playground bans, and social isolation, parents are struggling to keep their kids active.

Now parents, educators and community groups around the world are discovering help from an unexpected source: the Canadian not-for-profit parenting website activeforlife.com

"With COVID-19 we've seen web traffic double for March," says Michael Brynjolfson, site producer at Active for Life.

"Traffic is coming from Canada and all over the globe - the United States, France, United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Algeria, Argentina, and countless other countries."

Active for Life provides parents with hundreds of free resources for keeping kids physically active. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the bilingual website has focused specifically on helping parents to keep their kids busy and physically active while living with social distancing and isolation.

"My partner and I are used to getting the kids off to school and then turning to our work day," said Jennifer Heil, mother, executive and former Olympian. "Now, with the kids at home and trying to balance it all - it's been a huge help to have a list of activities at my fingertips."

One of the most popular Active for Life resources has been 49 fun physical activities to do with kids aged 2 to 4. Another popular resource has been 6 active games kids can play with a pair of socks which shows kids how to play soccer, baseball, basketball and ball games in small indoor spaces with simple sock balls. 

The free resources at Active for Life include a mix of game instructions, printable posters, and articles with ideas to stay active indoors and outdoors. Staff have been working extra hours to produce more resources and answer inquiries from groups as far away as Singapore.

"It's important that families stay physically active during this stressful time," says Briana Tomkinson, mother of 3 young children and managing editor at Active for Life. "We are now working on creating even more resources to address the special challenges of keeping kids active both indoors and outdoors."

Active for Life is a privately funded Canadian not-for-profit dedicated to promoting children's physical activity and physical literacy for lifelong health and well-being.

LINKS:  

49 fun physical activities to do with kids aged 2 to 4
https://activeforlife.com/49-fun-physical-activities-to-do-with-kids-aged-2-to-4/

6 active games kids can play with a pair of socks
https://activeforlife.com/6-active-games-kids-can-play-with-a-pair-of-socks/

Active for Life
https://activeforlife.com

SOURCE Active for Life

Media inquiries: Richard Monette, Editor-in-Chief, 403-760-0022, [email protected]; Briana Tomkinson, Managing Editor, Active for Life, 438-926-4397; [email protected]