The importance of a Dynamic School Day

According to the Municipality of Amsterdam, alternating more between seated learning and physical activity has several benefits:

  • It is healthy.
  • It promotes the atmosphere in the classroom.
  • It helps children pay better attention.
  • If you consider getting enough exercise normal at a younger age, you are more likely to continue doing so later in life.

Two 45-minute physical education lessons per week are important for learning motor skills, but they do not enable pupils to meet the required amount of physical activity. Additional activities are therefore needed. Examples include:

  • Outdoor breaks.
  • Learning activities involving movement.
  • Outdoor lessons.
  • Movement breaks.
  • The Daily Mile.
  • A walking and movement route through the school.

Schools can also adapt their facilities to encourage physical activity. Examples include climbing corners, drawings on the floor and equipment.

Working towards a Dynamic School Day

In 2022, six STWT schools (Stichting Openbaar Basisonderwijs Westelijke Tuinsteden) in Amsterdam started a pilot project to develop a Dynamic School Day. In the 2024–2025 school year, a total of sixteen schools in Amsterdam are working towards a Dynamic School Day.

At these schools, teachers are working together with lecturers and researchers from the ‘Movement in and around school’ research group at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) to develop a tailored Dynamic School Day. The initial results are positive: pupils and teachers are enthusiastic. It does not create additional workload; instead, it leads to a pleasant atmosphere and even more calm in the classroom.

Support programme

The Municipality of Amsterdam wants more schools to start working towards a Dynamic School Day each year.

In cooperation with the HvA, the Municipality of Amsterdam is establishing a support structure and a five-year ambition plan with the school boards, in which the Dynamic School Day is an important pillar.

Each school receives a tailored three-year support programme to develop a Dynamic School Day. The experience and knowledge gained with the participating schools will be used when involving other primary schools. The municipality, together with the HvA and the schools, is also examining what else schools need to start implementing the Dynamic School Day.

More information about the Dynamic School Day

De Beweegalliantie has a special website about the Dynamic School Day. The website explains, among other things, what it is, why it is important, how to design and implement it, what its building blocks are and what support is available.

Source: Municipality of Amsterdam.