Change4Life and Disney UK partner to get primary school pupils more active
July 12, 2019
Change4Life, which works to motivate and support millions more people to make and sustain changes that will improve their health, and Disney UK want to change the belief that in order to be physically active, you must be “sporty” with their new campaign, the 10 Minute Shake Up.
Findings from their recent survey noted that children believe they need to be ‘fast’ (49%) or ‘strong’ (41%) to be physically active and only 25% see themselves as ‘sporty’. The campaign plays a part in challenging this notion - by encouraging the nation’s children to get more active this summer by showing pupils that everyone – of all abilities - can enjoy and benefit from physical activity and improved overall wellbeing.
According to the Chief Medical Officer, it is recommended that children do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. However, just 20% of boys and 14% of girls are meeting this target, despite 95% of children stating that they enjoy being physically active.
Schools have always worked hard to foster positive attitudes towards physical activity, but there is a need to engage pupils beyond PE classes, and get them moving throughout the school day. By introducing fun forms of physical activity that excite and engage pupils, teachers can make a real difference to getting young people active before, during and after school.
To help schools and children achieve the recommended amount of daily activity, Change4Life and Disney worked with teachers to develop new resources. The fun, free curriculum linked activities are made up of 10-minute bursts of active fun that pupils can easily fit into the school day. What makes these activities so unique, is that they are inspired by popular characters from Disney and Pixar's Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2 and Disney’s Frozen and The Lion King. The resources encourage pupils to pounce like Simba, stretch like Elastagirl and travel to infinity and beyond like Buzz Lightyear.
Darren Rubin, Executive Head, St John’s Primary School, London said: “Each Shake Up is modelled on an activity inspired by a popular Disney character, which has proved to be the perfect incentive to get those children, especially those who don’t show much interest in sport, excited and involved with physical activity.”
Research also shows that 84% of parents are unaware that physical activity can develop children’s ability to cope with life’s setbacks and more than half (51%) did not know it can help build self-confidence. Schools can play an integral role in engaging families and help parents and caregivers to see that the benefits of exercise go beyond the physical benefits and also help to build resilience.
Stated Mike Diaper, Sport England’s Executive Director of Children and Young People: "Tackling inactivity is a key part of Sport England’s strategy Towards An Active Nation, so we endeavor to make a positive difference in encouraging and supporting families and children to get active together. This year, Change4Life have created a brilliant new online quiz which will help children discover the perfect activities and sports for them to try based on the Shake Up games they enjoyed. We are hoping to see more children take up new sports as a result.”
To ensure this programme goes beyond the school gates and helps pupils keep fit over the summer, the 10 Minute Shake Up games take-home packs have been distributed to over 16,500 state-funded primary schools before the end of term to inspire children and their families to get active together over the holidays.
Find out more about the Change4Life and Disney resources on the School Zone of the Public Health England website.