Is a lot of sitting necessary at school? It is how the curriculum is structured at many schools in the Netherlands. But in recent years, there has been increasing attention to making the school day more active, and therefore also to encouraging physical activity in the school setting. After all, at school you can reach all children. This can sometimes be difficult for schools: responsibility for physical activity lies with parents, while academic subjects are central at school. That is what schools are judged on, not on how much children move.
We are learning more and more about physical activity at school. There appear to be countless ways to integrate physical activity without this being detrimental to academic performance. In fact, children even enjoy lessons more when they are allowed to move!
Let’s go through the school day and look at the opportunities there are to be physically active. Children come to school. Hopefully walking or cycling. The lesson begins. Children enjoy learning arithmetic through a movement game, so during the lesson they solve sums by juggling. Between lessons, they do a little dance so that they can focus properly on the next lesson. Then it is break time. The school playground is attractively designed and there is plenty of play equipment available for children of all ages and with different preferences. This encourages children to be physically active. After the break, the next lesson begins, which is held outdoors. Then the children run The Daily Mile. In the afternoon, physical education is on the timetable. Someone from the local hockey club has been invited to give a clinic. Who knows, some children may discover that hockey really is their sport! But above all, physical activity and fun are central. After school, the community sports coach is in the playground with an activity for all children who want to take part. In this way, children spend their school day actively learning and playing, and that makes them happy!
The start of a new school year is a great opportunity to begin incorporating more physical activity at school. This blog already contains many possibilities, intended as inspiration. In the coming weeks, more blogs by my colleagues will be published, covering topics such as the importance of physical education and how physical activity and learning can be combined. Every little step counts, literally and figuratively!
The Mulier Institute is involved in physical activity at school, as demonstrated by its research into school and sport, healthy schools and school environments, the relationship between physical activity, cognitive functions and academic performance and The Daily Mile.
Would you like to know more? Then please contact Jorien Slot-Heijs (researcher at the Mulier Institute, specialising in learning to move and health and involved in research on physical activity at school).