Physical Education Drug Awareness Activities

Physical education classes offer good reminders to students about drug awareness.

Physical activities leave more of an impression on children than just hearing "don't do drugs". As predators looking to hook youngsters onto drugs get more bold, we need to step up the fight for our children. As they get older, the education about drugs needs to be heightened and coupled with education about peer pressure. Children may learn that drugs are dangerous, but the desire to be accepted by their peers can overwhelm their judgment.

Preschool

Show young children that some things in your home are harmful poisons. Emphasize that they should only put things in their mouths that you have given them. Play "Simon Says" as "Mommy Says;" "Mommy says drink milk, juice, water" etc. The opposite is "drinking dish soap, no." "touching laundry soap, no." Show them cleaners and tell them specifically that they will hurt them; it burns like getting soap in your eyes. Children understand pain, but never let them touch cleaners that are dangerous.

Kindergarten to 2nd Grade

Teach young children the difference between reality and play. At this age children can confuse TV, pretend and reality. Play make believe games like "Buggy Ride." Have one child get into a laundry basket that has a rope tied to it and another child be the "horse." When the sitting child gives the command "giddy up," the horse-child pulls the basket to a designated spot, and then they switch roles. After the game, ask the children if the horse was a real horse; of course it wasn't. Explain that there is a difference between a real doctor that your parents take you to when you are sick, and a pretend doctor who may be a friend or someone else who is playing, and that he should never put anything in his mouth that a pretend doctor might give you.

3rd to 6th Grade

Role playing is a great activity for this age. Teach the children the dangers of drugs and how peers or strangers might offer them drugs. Practice scenarios they could find themselves in such as a birthday party with an older brother, or after school near older kids. Give each child a chance to even yell "NO!" and physically run away from the danger.

7th to 9th Grades

Social roles are very important to this age group. Emphasize how important staying away from drugs is by playing common ball games with a handicap. Drugs destroy your body physically like trying to play basketball with one hand tied to your waist. Discuss understanding the frustration of wanting to do your best with this handicap (of drugs), but still wanting to be part of the "in" crowd.

Children in High School

Often these children have heard it all, but they still need to be reminded of the consequences poor judgment can bring. Drugs take away your natural inhibition to protect yourself. Play dodge ball with one team having protective barriers to hide behind that the other team does not have to illustrate to them that taking drugs takes away their barriers.

References

• PEC: Lesson Plans for Physical Education
• Drug Abuse Resistence Education