, the charity is running its annual National School Sports Week campaign, supported by high-street chain Sports Direct, between 19 and 25 June, to get more children ‘playing for fun, playing for 60’.
It’s working with families and schools to ensure people are better informed about the benefits of sport and play for children. In last year’s campaign, schools taking part provided more than 650,000 young people with opportunities to become more involved in PE, play and sport. Alison Oliver MBE, YST chief executive, says: “We know children are leading increasingly sedentary lives., and time spent in nature is down – it’s no surprise that parents and teachers are increasingly concerned about children’s physical activity levels and the effects of this in the classroom.
“Children’s formative years influence their wellbeing, development, education outcomes and physical activity levels well into adulthood. There is a compelling evidence base for getting more play and sport into children’s lives. Pockets of innovative practice which are unlocking new ways to inspire young people to get active are emerging, but a priority has to be raising public awareness of the CMO guidance.
These innovations include “boot camps” for less active kids during the summer, local classes in quirky sports like net or rock climbing, and litter-collecting days for kids on beaches where they compete to collect the most litter.Donia Youssef is a 45-year-old children’s author, who has written theseries of books, with cancer in the family as one of the themes. She lives in Essex with her two daughters, aged seven and nine., playing computer games.