The song from Madagascar was one that every child who saw the movie immediately started singing and dancing to; and for a while, everyone I knew under the age of twelve could be easily prompted to declare "I like to move-it move-it!" complete with various dance moves.

The non-movie reality, though, is that we are still a nation fighting an obesity epidemic, and that's due not just to our poor eating habits. As a society, we are too sedentary. And that's true of our children, too. "Go play!" often means get out the video games or watch TV, now, rather than running and jumping and other physical activities.

Encouraging our kids to get a healthy amount of exercise is as much a parental responsibility as offering them healthy foods to eat and suitable clothing to wear. But many parents (myself included) tire of trying to rouse couch potatoes, or find the kids booted outside sitting in the driveway, reading a book. (I swear, it's hard to know whether to be angry or proud, when that happens....)

All sorts of folks in the blogosphere are talking about getting our kids moving this week:

Jenny Park tells us that parents want schools to take recess more seriously, and Dan Peterson reports that there's a link between fitness and academic achievement. Timothy Myers and Sarah Banks of Learn NC have great suggestions for elementary school teachers on how to work recess into the curriculum, too.

Martha Edwards at That's Fit tells us about the Change4Life campaign in England, utilizing scare tactics: They digitize your child's picture and create images of the obese adult to come if healthy habits aren't adopted.

Coach Nancy at My Parenting Source is wondering why kids don't go out to play the way they used to.

Carletta Sanders posts at Heart of the Matter to remind us that experts recommend 1 to 3 hours a day of moderate activity for children. The best way to help them get it? Lead by example. Not exactly novel advice, but something most of us can stand to hear again.

Will your inactive child be motivated by "cool?" Check out Shaun T's Fit Kids Club!

Last -- but certainly not least -- I would be remiss if I didn't bring up and oldie but goodie: Cranky Fitness reminds us that playing video games is playing video games, even if it involves moving around. It's not exercise. (I get the point being made, though I think some of the Wii Fitness activities are exercise. Most of them, though? Not exercise. And either way, not the same thing as teaching a child that getting outside and running around is supposed to be fun.)

However you choose to get your kids up and moving, any exercise is better than no exercise. Start small. But start.

BlogHer Contributing Editor Mir also blogs about issues parental and otherwise at Woulda Coulda Shoulda, and about the joys of mindful retail therapy at Want Not.