FY2017 Wellness Annual Report

Since August 2013, elementary schools have been using GoNoodle’s online movement and mindfulness videos to get students moving in classrooms across the District.  GoNoodle is easy to use and quickly gets students participating in physical activity or moments of mindfulness right next to their desks. Use of GoNoodle has been shown to lead to improvements in academic performance, attention and memory, student engagement and behavior, and overall health.

Research shows that students who play GoNoodle perform better in reading and math, vs. students who do not play.  Additionally, research shows students who play GoNoodle have improved body mass index (BMI).  GoNoodle’s short movement and mindfulness breaks serve as transitions between subjects and teachers can easily and quickly integrate physical activity into the instructional day. Nationally, there are over 14 million kids in all 50 states, and 185 countries using this program. In 2017, students playing GoNoodle earned over 6 billion minutes of physical activity.

Initially, Palm Beach elementary schools had access to GoNoodle’s premium version, GoNoodle Plus, through support from a local sponsor, which ended in 2017.  Since then, Palm Beach elementary schools have been using GoNoodle’s free version.

Key Features:

• Free. Any teacher, anywhere, can create a free GoNoodle account and start using movement activities right away.
• Fast: Transition from listless to engaged in less than a minute. GoNoodle takes no time to setup, has content of a variety of lengths (from 1 minute to 20 minutes), and just requires you to press play.
• Designed for Long-Term Engagement: GoNoodle makes earning minutes of healthy activity a game that your students play together. Motivate students to stay active. Each class chooses a Champ -- a virtual mascot -- who grows and levels up as the class earns more minutes of movement.
• Research-based Activities: Applying the latest in exercise science and research, GoNoodle videos and games are designed to achieve results in student achievement, behavior, and health.
• Multiple Classes: For teachers who see multiple groups of students each day, GoNoodle can be easily set up so that each class has their own game progress, Champ, and reward.

GoNoodle is designed for use in the average classroom. All a teacher needs is a computer, a broadband internet connection and a screen that all students can see such as a projector, interactive whiteboard, or a big monitor. Teachers then choose from hundreds of videos through a simple online navigation. Simply press play and a GoNoodle video leads kids exercises modeled on screen.

There are many different options to choose from based on the amount of time available or the type of physical activity -- moderate, vigorous or calming. GoNoodle videos range in time on average from 2 to 5 minutes in length, though shorter and longer videos do exist on the site. GoNoodle also provides videos for use during inclement weather, categorized as “indoor recess” on the site. GoNoodle is a great way to give students a quick burst of physical activity, which can help keep them focused throughout a long academic day.

The benefits of physical fitness and relaxation on learning are well documented, and GoNoodle provides teachers with a fun, interactive way to get students moving.