What is the Peuter4daagse?
During the Peuter4daagse, children up to three years old go out for four days. This can take place during Healthy Youth Week in June, during National Sports Week in September, or at another time of the year. Every day during childcare hours, the childcare centre or playgroup’s pedagogical staff walk for at least fifteen minutes along a route they have mapped out themselves. After these four days, the children receive a cheerful, official medal as a reward.
About the medal
Children can take part in the Peuter4daagse at both two and three years of age. That is why KWbN developed two different medals. One features a walking hedgehog, while the other displays a cheerful fawn. For example, you can choose to order one medal one year and the other medal the next. Or you can choose the hedgehog for two-year-olds and the fawn for three-year-olds (or vice versa). The choice is yours. In any case, you have the option of allowing children who take part for two years to earn a different medal each year.
The beginning
In 2016, Peuteropvang Heerlen came up with the idea of introducing toddlers to outdoor exercise through walking at an early age. Together with JOGG-Heerlen, the Peuter4daagse was therefore organised as part of the daily programme. It was a huge success, and together with JOGG-Limburg (Healthy Youth, Healthy Future), the Peuter4daagse was rolled out across all municipalities in South Limburg.
Great success
Thanks to the fruitful cooperation between the various parties, more and more childcare locations in Limburg took part in the Peuter4daagse. With support from the Limburg region of the Royal Dutch Walking Association (KWbN), the Peuter4daagse received a major boost in 2021. In 2022, no fewer than 10,231 toddlers and 1,396 pedagogical staff members from 236 childcare locations in Limburg took part.
The whole of the Netherlands
KWbN and JOGG are keen to use their expertise and network to get the rest of the Netherlands’ young people moving too. Enthusiastic about the idea from Limburg, they joined forces in 2022 to make the Peuter4daagse a nationwide success as well. Thanks to this nationwide support, the Peuter4daagse could also be organised in the rest of the Netherlands in 2022. Despite the short preparation time, 18,600 toddlers took part!
Read here all the information about the Peuter4daagse.