BOKS is a program posed as morning physical exercises that kids start doing in the morning – they running, playing, and exercising for 45 minutes. Characterizing a diversity of dynamic games and activities, the BOKS program is widely recognized by elementary age kids of all development rates. State a question for a BOKS kid about his the most lovely game and you will hear the following games: “Fishy Fish”, “Crab Soccer”, or “Toilet Tag”. Action-oriented games that are kid-approved.
BOKS was established in 2009 by three moms in Natick, Massachusetts. Motivation? Pupils would get up early in the morning to arrive at schooltowardly – to carry out such an exercise. Starry-eyed perhaps, but the wager paid off. BOKS (short for Build Our Kids’ Success) was founded. BOKS is created to stimulate students’ brain activities and ready them for a day of learning. In the 200 schools, BOKS has gained proponents nationwide, activity is as central to student life as reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The BOKS program is organized into a 12-week curriculum, which is delivered twice a school year, once in the fall and again in the spring. Every session is broken down into five segments: warm-up, running activity, skill of the week, fun game, and cool down with a nutrition talk (the BOKS Bit).
BOKS “Trainers” oversee morning sessions. Designed to include the whole family and community, any parent, classroom teacher, PE teacher, coach, or other volunteer may become a BOKS Trainer. These individuals organize program logistics and lead activities each morning. Dedication to the program and its mission is critical but trainers do not need to be fitness professionals.
Written in conjunction with Tufts Floating Hospital for Children, ‘BOKS Bits’ are age appropriate nutrition lessons delivered at the end of each session to complement the physical activity provided. Kids take home nuggets of valuable information about nutrition labels, sugar-sweetened beverages, and healthy snacks – tools they can use on all days of the week.
BOKS is strategically scheduled before school to get the blood pumping and ready the brain for learning. Teachers at BOKS schools report that they see a tremendous difference in students who have participated in morning exercise. They arrive to class alert, focused, and ready to tackle the day.
As it turns out, a kid in motion stays in motion. A recent study conducted in Massachusetts found that BOKS participants were more active than the comparison group on all days of the week and not just the days they attended BOKS.
Helping children realize the physical, health, and emotional benefits of daily movement and exercise is a core goal of the BOKS program. As the cheer goes, BOKS ROCKS!