Daily Physical Activity

The Requirement

Since September 2008, all students from K to 12 have been required to participate in Daily Physical Activity. Physical activity may consist of either instructional or non-instructional activities.

Effective September 2011, schools will have the flexibility to provide students in Grades 8 and 9 with 30 minutes of Daily Physical Activity or follow the 150 minutes of physical activity per week requirement.

Daily Physical Activity is defined as endurance, strength and/or flexibility activities done on a daily basis.

Kindergarten: Schools will offer 15 minutes of Daily Physical Activity for half-day Kindergarten, and 30 minutes of Daily Physical Activity for full-day Kindergarten, as part of students' educational program.

Grades 1-7: Schools will offer 30 minutes of Daily Physical Activity as part of students' educational program.

Grades 8-9: Schools will have the flexibility to provide 30 minutes of Daily Physical Activity as part of students’ educational program or students must document and report 150 minutes per week of physical activity at a moderate to vigorous intensity.  Schools will determine which requirement (i.e. 30 minutes daily or 150 minutes weekly) is completed by Grade 8 and 9 students.

Grades 10-12: Students must document and report a minimum of 150 minutes per week of physical activity, at a moderate to vigorous intensity, as part of their Graduation Transitions program. Tools to keep track of daily physical activity are available on the DPA Tracking Tools page.

For more information, please review the Program Guide for Daily Physical Activity Kindergarten to Grade 12 in English (PDF, 516KB) or French (PDF, 210KB), or read our Questions and Answers.