A summer poll by school services provider, Fit For Sport, has found that nearly three quarters of primary school teachers expect their pupils to spend the summer in front of televisions and tablets rather than being outdoors.
The poll, which was completed by around 100 primary school teachers, found 40 per cent believe children’s fitness levels actually decrease over the summer, despite the fact that for most children it is the best time of year to get active outdoors.
Only 12 percent of teachers believed their pupils would spend most of their time playing outside.
Although the poll sampling is small, the findings of this poll, coupled with Fit For Sport’s study from earlier in the year which found two-thirds of children fall below recommended fitness levels, will heighten concerns about children’s health.
Dean Horridge, founder and CEO of Fit For Sport said, “The best way to encourage children away from screens is making activities fun and getting all the family involved. It’s important to find a balance between screen time and being active and the summer is the perfect time to develop healthy habits to last a lifetime.”.
To help children and families get active outdoors this summer, Fit For Sport has created a free guide and website. The site features ideas and games for families to play together, as well as an Activity Challenge that helps parents to measure and track their children’s fitness and activity levels by taking part in short and simple tasks. The NHS public health campaign Change 4 Life is also promoting a similar tool with its 10-Minute Shake Up programme, supported by Disney. It offers children a wristband timer, posters stickers and activity cards in a bid to improve activity rates amongst children.
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