Kinesiology Lab Days

Bring your class to campus for a day of live labs!

We developed Kinesiology Lab Days more than 50 years ago as an introduction to the then relatively new field of kinesiology - the science of human movement. Since then, the University of Waterloo has established itself as an international leader in kinesiology research and education.

Dates: December 4 - 6 and December 9 - 13, 2024

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. each day (includes a one-hour lunch break for students to enjoy their own lunches)

Cost: $20.00 (HST included) per student. See registration and payment details below.

Registration for Kinesiology Lab Days 2024 is now closed. Registration for Lab Days 2025 will open in September 2025. 

How to register

Step one

The day registration opens, complete the form to request a date for your school to attend Kinesiology Lab Days.

  • This is a request, not a confirmation. You are not required to make any payment during this step.
  • All submissions will be handled in the order they are received. You will be notified within 7 days regarding the status of your request.
  • Information required for registration: school name, teacher contact, date you'd like to attend (with two alternate date options), and approximate number of students you'll be bringing.
  • Please note there is a very high demand and registration typically fills within minutes.

Step two

Watch for an email to confirm whether we can accommodate your request.

  • We will provide you with more details on the registration and payment process.
  • We will notify you if your school has been placed on our wait list.

Step three

If we are able to accommodate your request, please follow the registration details and deadlines for payment and student lab requests. Anticipated payment deadline will be October 16, 2024.

  • Payment is only available by credit card.
  • We are only able to accept payment via Credit Card through our online registration portal. You will receive details regarding this process from our administrator at a later date. Please make arrangements with your school early to ensure you can pay by this method. Alternate payment options are not available. 

Previous labs have included:

A balancing act

scale
How good is your balance? In this lab, students will be introduced to the sensory inputs used for balance as well as how those inputs can be affected. Students will test their knowledge of balance and determine how much control they truly have. 

Connections to your classroom:

  • Neuroscience 
  • Kinesiology 

Don't miss a beat

heart
Have you heard this beat? In this lab, students will learn about heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiovascular testing. Students will step into the role of clinician as they part take in a submaximal cardiovascular test.  

Connections to your classroom:

  • Human physiology 
  • Biology
  • Kinesiology, exercise

Flex and furious: neural drive

arm flexed

It’s time to give it your all! In this lab, students will be introduced to neuroscience and will examine muscle activation during exercise. Students will put their driving skills to the test when their own muscles will be controlling the car.  

Connections to your classroom:

  • Human anatomy, Human physiology 
  • Kinesiology, Biology, Chemistry 

The sixth sense

clock timer

Do you know where your arms are? In this lab activity, you will learn about the forgotten sixth sense: proprioception. By investigating factors influencing the learning and performance of a movement, you will observe and measure how the brain adapts to changes in sensory input to perform skilled motor tasks. What you thought was an automatic process might not be!

Connections to your classroom:

  • Neuroscience
  • Kinesiology 

That's a wrap

Wrapped up head
Ouch! In this lab, students will be introduced to athletic taping, the importance of taping and common injuries in sport. Students will apply their knowledge with hands-on taping experiences.  

Connections to your classroom:

  • Human anatomy, Exercise 
  • Injury prevention, Kinesiology 

Thinking outside the bone box

Xray of chest

In this lab, students will work in groups to correctly assemble a full human skeleton. Students will need to distinguish upper limb bones from lower limb bones, count and organize vertebrae and ribs, determine left- from right-sided bones, and place them in proper anatomical position. Upon completion of this task, students will be given images of internal organs that they can organize and place alongside their skeleton  

Connections to your classroom:

  • Human anatomy 
  • Kinesiology
  • Biology

Anatomical inquiries

Bone emoji

What lies beneath? In this lab, students will review and explore the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems using real human cadaver specimens. Students will visit 4 different stations, each led by a Kinesiology student who will show them structures and answer questions. Please note that this workshop is not suitable for all students. Teachers, please use discretion when selecting students for this workshop. Students who have had difficulty with animal dissections are not good candidates for this particular experience.  

Connections to your classroom:

  • Human anatomy
  • Kinesiology
  • Biology

Kinesiology overview

Share this introductory video with your students to help them learn more about Kinesiology. 

View on YouTube