In the Contactless Era, Kids at Home~ Let's Exercise~

Seodaemun-gu Develops Non-Face-to-Face Physical Activity Education Content for Infants and Families

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) is operating a non-face-to-face physical activity promotion project called the ‘Young Children Family Hometact Exercise Challenge’ in response to concerns about health risk factors such as childhood obesity and decreased physical fitness due to reduced physical activity caused by restrictions on outdoor activities for infants and toddlers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, it has become easy to notice that children’s activity levels have decreased, their body sizes have noticeably increased, and their health and fitness levels have declined.

There are also concerns about the occurrence of diseases such as childhood obesity and precocious puberty.

In particular, childhood obesity is closely influenced by parents’ physical activity and lifestyle habits, so regular and diverse physical activities involving both parents and children are necessary to prevent it.

Enjoyable physical activities with family greatly help in forming healthy lifestyle habits for growing infants and toddlers, contributing to stable emotional development, creativity development, and improved physical fitness.

The ‘Young Children Family Hometact Exercise Challenge’ is a physical activity education program developed by the Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center for families with young children.

It consists of 14 educational videos and card news pieces on physical activities tailored to each developmental stage of young children (spatial awareness, non-locomotor skills, manipulative activities), and includes two videos with a ‘final challenge task’ to encourage active and continuous participation in physical activities.

Any family in Seodaemun-gu with young children (preschoolers) can participate, and the program runs for one month until October 11.

Participants watch four videos and card news pieces posted weekly on the official Seodaemun-gu YouTube channel and the Public Health Center website, exercise together as a family, and then leave a comment below the video confirming their participation.

Through a prior application process, 100 families (including single-parent, grandparent-headed households, and vulnerable families such as those in the Dream Start program) were provided with physical activity kits (balloons, markers, play ropes, etc.).

Accordingly, the physical activity promotion project within Seodaemun-gu households will be actively conducted focusing on 384 members of these 100 families. Families who did not apply in advance can also participate using substitute equipment available at home.

By checking the two ‘Our Family Exercise Challenge’ videos posted on September 29 and selecting one, families can record a video of their exercise together (about one minute) and submit it by October 11 (Sunday) via email (eye1023@sdm.go.kr) to complete the final challenge task of the Hometact Challenge.

Among the families who submit videos, outstanding families will be selected and awarded ‘Young Children Nutrition Snack Making Kits and Nutrition Education Materials.’

Previously, Seodaemun-gu developed the nation’s first childcare teacher textbook for young children’s physical activity education, which was registered with the Korea Copyright Commission and Seodaemun-gu’s shared property registry in April 2020.

Physical activity educational materials have been distributed to 145 childcare centers including home daycare centers, public, private, and workplace daycare centers, and childcare teachers actively encourage physical activities for young children.

Lee Jun-young, director of the Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center, stated, “We look forward to the active participation of families with young children in the Hometact Exercise Challenge, which will help prevent obesity, promote proper growth and development, and improve immunity in growing infants and toddlers.”