We know there are so many reasons why outdoor play is important for children. From the opportunity to release repressed energy, to better cardiovascular health and improved concentration, the benefits of daily outdoor activity are many.
But how do you ensure all children engage in active play at playtime? For those pupils who are not easily motivated to move during outdoor play, is there anything you can do?
As a top UK playground marking supplier, it’s a question that’s always at the front of our minds.
Research has shown children who partake in at least 15 minutes of self-guided physical activity, at least 3 times a week, benefit from better wellbeing, focus, memory, stamina, resilience, cardiovascular health and more.
Let’s take a look at some top ways to get children more active during the school day.
Build Exercise into Daily Routines
Did you know less than a third of children in the UK meet the Department of Health’s recommendation for an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise a day? For us adults, that’s a pretty surprising statistic.
We all assume our children are getting enough exercise so it’s no surprise a national survey by Leeds Beckett University found a third of parents didn’t know their children should be more active. Put simply, the busy, technology-filled lives we’re living are having an impact of our children’s health.
Monitoring children’s use of technology throughout the day, introducing stand up desks, more active lessons and ensuring PE sessions don’t get skipped or chopped are all things we can do but there is more.
The Daily Mile
Lots of schools have introduced the Daily Mile to help to ensure all children are engaging in more moderate to vigorous exercise. It’s the moderate to vigorous element of exercise that really makes a difference to young people’s health.
The Daily Mile gives every pupil in your school a dedicated 15-minute space during the school day when they’re engaged in 15 minutes of jogging running, brisk walking or wheeling. With pupils remaining in their school clothes, the activity commonly takes places around the perimeter of the playground.
With the entire school taking part, every pupil in the school is increasing their daily participation in moderate to vigorous physical exercise.
What does the research say?
Research into the impact of the Daily Mile is still in its early stages, having only begun in 2012. Yet the first ripples of findings are impressive. From a 5% increase in fitness to a 4% decrease in skin folds, the indications suggest the Daily Mile may help to build a generation of leaner, fitter children.
We know habits form early so getting children into a routine of getting outside and active daily, means the Daily Mile helps to build good habits pupils may keep for life.
Indeed, what we do now, impacts us later. Studies show physical activity:
- stimulates bone health that can help to decrease the likelihood of osteoporosis in later life;
- helps to prevent the physical, mental and emotional impact of a sedentary lifestyle, such as back pain, low mood and headaches;
- aids the reduction of obese or overweight children which currently stands at 30% across England and Scotland. Obese or overweight children are more likely to develop diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease, later in life.
We also know that in general, taking physical breaks during the day helps to boost our mood, reduce anxiety, and make us more alert.
With benefits for children’s mental and physical health now and in future, it’s so important we do all we can to encourage all pupils to get active.
School Clubs
After-school clubs is a powerful way to help students engage in more physical exercise. The Department of Health’s recommendation also includes introducing children to a variety of activities across the week.
Participating in a range of physical exercises, games and activities ensures children work an array of muscles and bones whilst building things like co-ordination and balance. In a wider sense, children are more likely to find activities they enjoy and may even unlock unknown talents.
With school timetables so tight, after-school clubs and lunchtime clubs play a valuable role in enabling all pupils to enjoy more sports and exercise. With socio-economic factors affecting how much physical exercise children get nationwide, the value of physical activity during the school day is more important than ever.
Check out our blog on why Sports Clubs are good for children’s development
The Importance of Enjoyment
And let’s go back to enjoyment.
Consider playtime. For us, any playground designs have to be fun. Who wants to engage in play that’s not enjoyable? We’ve become a leading school playground marking supplier because we believe all types of play should be both educational and fun.
It was no surprise to us when research by Sport England in 2019 backed this up. Active play that’s enjoyable will motivate a greater range of children.
At Fun & Active Playgrounds, that means whether it’s sports playground markings or play equipment, we ensure every design will be enjoyable for as many children as possible.
Take a look through our playground markings and you’ll find all sorts of interesting outdoor play activities and ideas your children will adore. To give you some inspiration for playground designs that will inspire all children to get active, here’s our picks of the best playground markings to promote physical exercise.
1. Jump Game Playground Marking
There’s nothing more tempting than the challenge to achieve a little more than before and the Jump Game Playground Marking holds appeal for all children.
Made from high-grade thermoplastic, the bright sports playground marking is easy to follow. Two feet show children where to stand whilst bold lettering tells pupils what to do.
The challenge to jump one level further than last time ensures children explore their own physicality a little more each time. As they see just how much their body can do, children will be motivated to undertake increasing levels of physical activity.
In fact, some children may even discover athletic ability they didn’t know they possessed.
2. Bleep Test Playground Marking
The Bleep Test Playground Marking will need a little explanation to kick things off. Yet once the first group have had a go, other children will easily see how to play.
Favoured for its ability to support a strong cardio workout within as little as 5-10 minutes, bleep tests are an ideal choice to promote active play. Self-led agility levels mean everyone works at their own pace whatever their fitness level.
Meanwhile, having four rows close to each other provides just the right amount of competition to make everyone wants to push themselves that little bit more.
Add one of our bleep test timers for a complete bleep test experience.
3. Running Track Playground Marking
With only a short distance to travel, everyone will want to have a go at racing against their friend. The 25m running track has four lanes so small groups of children can sprint alongside each other, adding the all-important element of fun.
Interactions with peers will inspire children to run faster each time whilst the short distance makes this is a sports activity that’s accessible to all. Unlike a long track, 25m feels do-able, yet the challenge to be first to finish will keep children running back to the start to have another go.
Giving the body a great cardio workout, the running track can help to boost children’s heart health, stamina, mood, co-ordination and more.
For younger children, take a look at our activity trails. Working in a similar way to tracks, each of our trails follow a different national curriculum theme. Tracks for running, jumping, weaving, and hopping pack lots of cardio exercise into a small space.
Did you know you can customise any of our designs? Our bespoke design service gives you the freedom to tailor any of our playground markings or play equipment to suit your community.
4. Mile a Day Track Playground Marking
If you would like to offer children the choice to engage in energetic outdoor activity for a longer period of time, our daily mile running tracks provide lots of options.
The double line Daily Mile running track provides a full circuit for children to run without dominating the playground. The continuous lines motivate children to start and keep running whilst inspiring others to have a go.
If your school does participate in the Daily Mile, a running track is a great way to ensure whole class participation is orderly and purposeful. Best of all, sports tracks provide a stimulus for enthusiastic pupils to continue in their own time during outdoor play.
Alternatively, our Multi-coloured Line Playground Marking is great if you want a space-saving option whilst our marker points are great at keeping pupils motivated. Browse more innovative ways to promote active outdoor play in our huge collection now.