Bluearth’s signature Active Schools Program is all about instilling a lifelong love of movement in students and tackling the physical inactivity crisis, but also (and just as importantly) extending into the classroom and improving learning outcomes.
Our research shows that kids who move more, learn better and enhance key critical areas of development including concentration, cooperation, confidence, resilience, and respect for themselves and others. Students who participate in Bluearth sessions, therefore, not only improve their physical health but their physiological and socio-cultural wellbeing too.
Here’s five ways Bluearth can help learning in the classroom.
1. Increasing engagement
As the name suggests, the Active Schools Program is designed to create an active classroom where students aren’t stuck to their seats all day. From working with over 400,000 students since 2000, we’ve seen that for students to learn their best, they need to feel their best first.
An active classroom helps students be better engaged and motivated. Incorporating Bluearth activities throughout the school day can help students with concentration, cooperation, and confidence. These are all important factors that will enable them to be more engaged in lessons and with the curriculum.
2. Promoting participation
Unlike traditional school sporting programs, Bluearth sessions focus on positive participation rather than competition. Our activities give students time to observe, reflect and converse, allowing them to connect with themselves and others in an open and non-judgemental space.
This ethos can be transferred into the classroom, allowing students to be more at peace and inclined to participate in activities (whether with their teacher or their peers).
3. Reducing stress and anxiety
For some children, learning in a classroom can be a bit overwhelming with the continuous flow of new information and exercises, thus creating a degree of stress and anxiety. Physical activity has been proven to reduce these uncomfortable feelings, which means making mindful movement a part of the school day can help students feel more at ease in the classroom.
According to the World Health Organisation, regular physical activity also helps to enhance psychological wellbeing by lifting self-esteem, building confidence, and maintaining optimism.
4. Improving mental functions
Physical activity helps your brain stay sharp and improve mental functions such as memory, learning, understanding, and concentration. All of these are critical for students in listening to and retaining information, so will help them get the most out of their learning.
5. Developing one’s ability to work as a team
Group activities are a pivotal part of education, as working with others allows students to build lifelong social skills and learn the art of discovering new perspectives and strengthening individual ideas through collaboration.
Regular physical activity, specifically moving well, helps promote social interaction and contribution to social integration, which is another reason why our Active Schools Program exists and can help students in classroom settings.
In conclusion, participating in fundamental movements can boost brainpower and give students the confidence they need to be a more active participant in the classroom. Taking time out of the school day to get students moving well will reap significant benefits, and create a better learning environment for students and teachers alike.
If you’d like to learn more about our Active Schools Program, click here.