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Only a quarter of primary school children cycle to school every day. Learning to ride a bike at a young age is also not a given for all children. This is shown by two studies conducted by the Mulier Institute.
Children in vulnerable situations benefit most from nature. This is shown by a review of 123 studies conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The researchers recommend providing more nature in places where children spend time every day, such as schoolyards.
Students’ movement skills are the same as they were 7 years ago, despite the coronavirus pandemic and increased screen time. This is shown by the national survey Physical Activity and Sport at the End of Primary Education 2023–2024 conducted by the Dutch Inspectorate of Education, which was published in May 2026. More and more schools have specialist physical education teachers, and many children take part in sports several times a week outside school hours. Because children also learn during physical education lessons to play according to the rules, listen to one another and resolve conflicts, these lessons also contribute to social skills.
From 31 August through 11 September 2026, schools can register for EU School Fruit (primary and (special) primary education) and/or EU School Milk (primary, (special) primary and secondary education).
The municipality of Wageningen has been declared the winner of the Golden Carrot 2026, the national award for municipalities that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to school gardening education. The recognition, presented by the School Gardens Alliance and the Jong Leren Eten programme, was ceremonially handed over to alderman Erik-Jan Bijleveld at OBS de Tarthorst on Friday, 22 May 2026.
No fewer than seven municipalities have nominated themselves for the Golden Carrot: Apeldoorn, De Bilt, Harlingen, Leiden, Middelburg, Wageningen and Westland. With this award, the School Garden Alliance and Jong Leren Eten put municipalities in the spotlight that are committed to school gardening. The winner will be announced on 22 May. The public award will also be presented.
Joas is turning six today. You can tell by the homemade hat on his head, decorated with dinosaur stickers. The teacher asks the class to be quiet, then Joas may come to the front. He chooses what his cake will look like on the interactive whiteboard, which song the class will sing, who may stand next to him on the table and what music will be played afterwards. It will be “Politiekonijntje” from the film Zootropolis. The whole class dances the conga line. Joas stands on the table with bright red cheeks.
No fewer than 85% of children give digging in the soil a score of 6 or higher. When thinking about digging in the soil, children associate it with terms such as ‘fun’ (51%), ‘playful’ (36%) and ‘discovering nature’. Half of the children (50%) think that digging in the soil makes them happy or calm. More than four in five children (81%) say they consider a school garden (very) important. The findings come from a survey of 409 primary school children, conducted by Market Response in the run-up to School Garden Week (18–22 May).
Fietsersbond and Wandelnet have published a Guide to establishing a School Street as part of the Safe, Activity-Friendly School Environment project. With the guide, including its step-by-step plan, schools can more easily establish a temporary School Street for three months. No changes to laws or regulations are required; permission from the municipality is sufficient.
New research by IPSOS I&O commissioned by the School & Safety Foundation shows that the influence of the manosphere is increasingly noticeable in Dutch schools – and that this has consequences for the social safety of both students and staff.
Quickly asking who is missing a gym bag, a reminder about a teacher training day, or a discussion about treats: group chats have become an integral part of school life. Chapter 2 of The State of the Parent 2026 by Parents & Education focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of group chats and how you, as a parent, can deal with them.
History and social studies teachers regularly receive reactions and questions from students containing incorrect facts about the Holocaust. Misinformation and the rise of AI on social media in particular play a major role in this. Stichting School & Veiligheid provides teachers and schools with practical tools to learn to recognize misinformation.
The Healthy Primary School of the Future delivers significant benefits for children, schools and society. This is revealed by a report prepared by a research agency commissioned by the municipality of Venlo. The report calculates the returns on investing in the Healthy Primary School of the Future.
The municipality of Alkmaar has opened the renovated schoolyard of Bello primary school in the Spoorbuurt. With this, Alkmaar is showing how a schoolyard can develop into a healthy living environment. In the Spoorbuurt, the yard was not only redesigned as a play area, but several challenges were addressed at the same time.
Neuropsychologist Erik Scherder and Defence for Children are considering taking the state to court because, in their view, children’s health is not being sufficiently protected. The reason is the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science blocking a requirement to include daily physical activity in the curriculum. The obstruction was uncovered by KRO-NCRV’s television programme Pointer following its own investigation.
The Hague will introduce smoke- and vape-free school zones in the coming school year. From the 2026–2027 school year, the first smoke- and vape-free zones around schools in The Hague will be introduced. The municipal executive is thereby implementing a motion submitted by D66.
More and more young people are using artificial intelligence as a virtual friend with whom they discuss their feelings and concerns. This is appealing, but it also entails risks. How can you address this in education? The Netherlands Youth Institute, together with Kennisnet and the Expertise Centre for Digitalisation and Well-being, wrote an article about this.
In the Netherlands, 36% of schools work according to the Healthy School approach. This reaches 1.1 million children. This is evident from the Healthy School Annual Report 2025.
The Healthy Lifestyle at School webshop is moving. Naturally, we want you to be able to order articles in the meantime as well. You can do this by emailing [email protected] and including your postal address, billing address, email address, telephone number and bank account number. Once the move is complete, a link to the new webshop will be added.
On 18 May, the Mulier Institute is organising a webinar about the Movement Guide – Kids. This is a practical and evidence-based guide focused on education about physical activity in childcare. The webinar is intended for educators of (future) childcare professionals. We will discuss how you can use the guide and share experiences with education about physical activity in childcare. Afterwards, you can request the guide free of charge.
With a festive opening, King Willem-Alexander, Minister Sterk and State Secretary Tielen officially launched the fourteenth edition of the King's Games on Friday, 17 April. The national opening took place at two primary schools in Zeewolde, where almost 700 pupils, in the presence of the King, enjoyed a healthy breakfast, a performance by Kinderen voor Kinderen featuring the King's Games song ‘Ola ole olee’, and a day full of sporting activities.
The Education Inspectorate wants the government to explore a ban on social media for children under 15. According to the Education Inspectorate, a legal ban could support parents and schools in protecting children. The ban is one of two recommendations under the heading Safety in ‘The State of Education 2026’.
More and more primary schools are meeting the requirements for physical education in groups 3–8. Physical education for kindergarten children is receiving less attention. Schools are still doing little to encourage physical activity outside physical education lessons, for example during breaks. Physical activity is also often not a specific part of school policy. This is shown by four new studies by the Mulier Institute.
One in five children up to and including the age of 6 uses four, five or even six or more digital devices. The TV is used most, followed by the tablet and smartphone. This is shown by the Iene Miene Media study by Netwerk Mediawijsheid. Rebecca Wald (Netherlands Youth Institute): “More screens lead to more screen time, making it more difficult for parents to keep track.”
Steunpunt Smaaklessen and EU Schoolfruit introduce the Cooking Lesson Box for the classroom. With the Cooking Lesson Box, you can get started cooking with your class, even if you do not have a kitchen at school. The Cooking Lesson Box is suitable for grades 1 through 8 and makes it easy and fun to cook together.
As an education professional, you may encounter boys who are interested in the manosphere. This is an online network of websites, forums, social media accounts and podcasts that focus on masculinity and the position of men. The Netherlands Youth Institute has compiled a page where you can read how to support these boys.
How do you explain sustainability to pupils in years 7 and 8? This is covered in IVN's Sustainable Future teaching package, developed by IVN, the Institute for Nature Education, and NME Zeeland. IVN and NME Zeeland are organising an online webinar about the teaching package on Tuesday 12 May from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Would you like to work on a healthy learning environment as a primary school? Are you considering introducing or improving a school lunch? Then you will find everything you need on the De Gezonde Basisschool website: a Selection Aid to determine which lunch format suits your school; a Step-by-Step Plan with a clear approach for each option; and Inspiration, with examples from practice.
The Dutch Cyclists’ Union and Wandelnet believe that every child has the right to a safe, healthy and enjoyable school environment. An environment where being active is second nature, where you feel free to play and where parents can let their child go with peace of mind. An environment that also contributes to greater connection within the neighborhood. That is why the two organizations are now publishing the Vision Document: Safe and Activity-Friendly School Environment.
At school, students learn not only subject knowledge and social skills. They also develop ideas about how girls and boys should be and how they should behave. These gender norms exist in society and at school. They influence how safe students feel and which choices they dare to make. In this article, policy advisers Martje and Melissa from Stichting School & Veiligheid explain what gender norms are and what they mean for students’ social safety, development and equal opportunities.