After watching the quick classroom setup video, take a look around your room and ask yourself:

✏️ Pencil Roll
Where do you have enough open space for children to roll approximately 16 feet? Look for a clear pathway that can become part of your daily S.M.A.R.T. routine.
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🐊 Alligator Crawl
This space can be narrow and, if needed, can even travel underneath furniture. The goal is approximately 16 feet. Is there a space along the back of the classroom, beside tables, or between learning areas where children could crawl?

👣 Balance Beam
The Balance Beam is one of our most versatile S.M.A.R.T. elements! It can follow the edge where carpet meets tile, be created with floor tape, or curve and turn as part of your classroom rotation. Could you place yardsticks along a carpet? Is there a natural pathway where floor tape could lead toward the pencil sharpener, lockers, or another frequently used area?

🐢 Creep Track
Pull out the tracks you created at training and start looking for a narrow walkway that can accommodate their length. Do you have a carpet where you can attach the track? Could you use foam squares underneath to create the right surface?

The goal isn’t to create a perfect S.M.A.R.T. classroom. It’s to look at the space you already have and discover the possibilities within it.
A little creativity can turn an ordinary walkway into an opportunity for movement, exploration, and a brain-building experience.
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As you begin exploring S.M.A.R.T., you’ll find that some of our resource spaces are ready to explore, while others are still under construction. Think of it as a growing toolbox—we are continually adding ideas and finding new ways to make resources easy to access when you need them.

Here are a few places to start:

• Newsletter Archives: Our website (https://www.actg.org/smartnews) newsletter archives are filled with ideas, activities, tips, and inspiration from the S.M.A.R.T. community over the years.
• Pinterest: Looking for something specific? We’ve organized sections of past newsletters on Pinterest to make finding resources easier. Look for Time Saving Tips, S.M.A.R.T. Spaces, and One S.M.A.R.T. Teacher.
• Workshop Resources: Our website also includes a space where you can access resources connected to your S.M.A.R.T. workshop. We are working toward creating an even more convenient resource space where activities and ideas can be quickly found when inspiration—or a little help—is needed. Find this page here.

Most importantly, S.M.A.R.T. is a community, not just a collection of activities. The best ideas often come from educators trying something new, adapting an activity for their group, or discovering a creative way to make an idea work in their own space.

So, we invite you to be part of the growing conversation. Have an idea? Share it. Tried an activity? Send us a picture. Wondering how to adapt something? Ask a question. Found a creative way to use S.M.A.R.T.? We want to hear about it! Email us at mlrc@actg.org

Our printable “What is S.M.A.R.T.?” parent letter is an easy way to start that conversation. Send it home with families so they can learn what the S.M.A.R.T. movement program is all about and understand how the activities you’re doing in the classroom help support their child’s growing brain and body.

You can always find this resource on our website in the S.M.A.R.T. Downloads section: https://www.actg.org/smartdownloads.html

And here’s the best part! Need the parent letter in another language? We can help! Simply email your request for a specific language to mlrc@actg.org, and we’ll work with you to make sure every family has an opportunity to learn about S.M.A.R.T.

Happy new school year!

Download:
S.M.A.R.T. PreK Parent Letter
Elementary Age Parent Letter