Children need at least three hours’ excerise a day, nurseries told
By Sarah Cassidy, EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT | i (from the Independent) | 12 June 2015
Physically active children are happy and healthy, says Dr Lala Manners
Children should be encouraged to do at least three hours of exercise each day, a leading education expert has argued. Increased physical activity – from climbing trees to bouncing on beds has a positive impact on the health and well being of young people, said Dr Lala Manners.
Youngsters should be free to run, jump and climb trees – and help their parents out with household chores so that they can clock up at least three hours of exercise a day. Doing physical activity will make them healthier and happier and give them back their childhoods, a leading education expert has said.
Pre-school children should be allowed to bounce on their beds and splash about in the bath for the same length of time, argues Dr Lala Manners, who has more than 20 years’ experience as an early years teacher, educator and researcher.
She says children are getting fatter and more miserable and that too much money, time and effort has been wasted trying to change children’s eating habits rather than educating parents and nursery staff on the benefits of exercise.
Dr Lala Manners has set-up a petition calling for more emphasis on excerise for the youngest children.
She will present it to Ed Timpson, the minister for children and families, and Sam Gyimah, the early years minister.
Dr Manners has set up a petition calling for more emphasis on exercise for the youngest children. She will present it to Ed Timpson, the minister for children and families, and Sam Gyimah, the early years minister.
“Ask any adult what made you happy when you were young and they will almost all say climbing trees, swinging, making dens or skipping – these are all physical experiences,” she said.
“Ask 99 per cent of young children, what are you good at? They will say running, jumping, hiding or catching. Those with the best physical skills will have the most friends, be more confident socially and be more resilient.”
Dr Manners said nurseries and schools should assess children’s skills in activities such as skipping, jumping, climbing and hopping and raise the status of physical exercise. Physical development was a key part of the early years curriculum but is not a compulsory part of childcare training, she warned.
Changes to the type of information nurseries pass on to schools about children also threatened to reduce the emphasis on physical development, she warned.
“Free childcare, new playgrounds and yet another activity initiative are all useless if they are not fully supported by quality staff and standards that can be enforced and assessed,” she said.
“Free childcare, new playgrounds and yet another activity initiative are all useless if they are not fully supported by quality staff and standards that can be enforced and assessed,” she said.
