Partners: Move Kids To Action

By working with people like you, the VERB campaign is moving millions of tweens to action.  The CDC has developed a variety of VERB materials to help organizations who work with children connect VERB to their programs, classes and activities.

The Need for Physical Activity

• The number of overweight children aged 6–19 has tripled in the past 40 years.
• All ethnic groups become increasingly sedentary with age, beginning at around age 10.
• Physical inactivity is a main contributing factor to overweight.
• Obesity (severe overweight) during childhood and adolescence is associated with obesity during childhood.

Be part of the solution to get more physical activity into the lives of children, and let CDC's VERB campaign help you get started. Visit www.cdc.gov/VERB for innovative and creative materials to use in supporting kids' active play.

VERB Helps Make Physical Activity Fun

On the CDC's Web site you will discover resources from the VERB campaign for use in your programs, classes, and events for tweens:

• Learn how to teach tweens Hip Hop Drop and other new games and activities.
• Find out how your organization can get hundreds of tweens moving and eligible for prizes.
• Launch a VERB Appreciation Day and other fun activities with ready-to-use action kits.
• Model the successes that other campaign partners have had making physical activity fun for tweens.
• Access research, articles, and Web links to use in getting other adults to join the physical activity movement of tweens.

"Thank you for your wonderful materials! The stickers and posters are a great help in motivating kids!"
Physical Education Teacher, Akron, OH

"We have lots of smiling kids when we do games and other activities suggested in the VERB materials. VERB makes all our kids enjoy moving around!"
Youth Programs Manager, Santa Ana, CA

"The VERB campaign is very helpful and positive for our students!"
PTA, Miami, FL

Physical Activity's Many Benefits

The more you encourage active play and physical activity to happen, the more kids will want to get on the "GO!" And not just to the park but further in life.

There is no question that physical activity is good for children by strengthening muscles, bones and joints; controlling weight; and improving overall health.  But physical activity also helps to develop skills that can benefit children for life, including:

• Goal setting and achievement
• Getting along with others
• Leadership
• Teamwork

Other research shows that physical activity can help increase concentration, reduce anxiety and stress, and increase self-esteem—all of which may have a positive effect on students' scholastic achievement.

When you help a child to be active, you are a contributing to the lifelong health and wellness of that child.

What Moves Tweens

CDC's ongoing research with tweens (children aged 9–13) forms the basis of the entire VERB campaign.  Here are just some of the campaign's research findings that you can put to use when you work with tweens:

• Help tweens discover new activities that they enjoy. Children this age respond to the spirit of adventure, discovery, and finding their own thing.
• Give away small prizes such as stickers, pins or water bottles to reward tweens for being active. Prizes serves as great incentives for kids.
• Design activities with input from the kids. They will be more inclined to participate because they want to, not because they have to, do something.
• Some tweens prefer activities with a competitive edge while others simply like playing a game with friends. Find out their preferences. All tweens will experience the rewards of being active if it is enjoyable for them.
• Tweens, especially girls, like social interaction with friends. It makes playing actively more fun and offers opportunities for peer recognition and praise.
• Praise kids just for trying something new and getting active. Your encouragement means a lot to them.

Online Ideas for Offline Action
For Professionals: www.cdc.gov/VERB
For Parents: www.nafs.org* (Spanish)
For Tweens: www.VERBnow.com*

Contacting the CDC VERB Campaign
VERB is a national, multicultural social marketing campaign coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For questions or comments, contact the CDC VERB team by email at verb@cdc.gov or call (770 488-6480)

www.cdc.gov/VERB

* Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.