New Local App Launched to Keep Kids Active
Local organisation, SHAPE Learning Partnership have set up a new free app to help parents keep children active during lockdown and beyond.
Parents are being urged to sign up to the app which sets fun physical challenges aimed at all children aged 5 – 16 who go to school in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire.
Worrying statistics recently released by Sport England, show that the majority of young people failed to meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise in the 2019/20 academic year. Almost a third of children (2.3 million) were classed as ‘inactive’ as a result of lockdown restrictions, not even doing 30 minutes per day.
Competitive sport has also been seriously affected, with all local grassroots community clubs forced to close their doors to 1000’s of children who attend weekly training sessions and activities.
SHAPE Manager, Paul Ryan said, “We understand how difficult it has been for children to be physically active whilst not in school and we know how much they have missed their clubs and activities. The forced closure of our local sports teams, dance classes, karate studios and sports centres will have lasting damage on children’s health and participation rates if we do not address it now.”
The new online platform gives parents and children free access to a wide variety of virtual challenges and competitions which can all be completed at home with little or no equipment. The app aims to combat the alarming decline in children’s activity levels by giving them the opportunity to engage in fun physical challenges, either just for fun or by entering competitions against other children.
It contains a variety of competitive and non-competitive challenges for all ages, meaning there is something for everyone. SHAPE will continue to add more challenges to engage the whole family beyond lockdown.
Getting set up on the app is really simple, with SHAPE creating a guide to take parents through the process step by step. Once set up, parents and children can get started straight away in participating in, and uploading scores for a wide variety of challenges.
Local Primary Teacher, Emily McKinnon from Hasland Junior School, said, “The app is a fantastic opportunity for young people to engage in physical activity, improve their skills, and compete against other children. The virtual platform is easy to navigate and is a way of ensuring our young people keep both their body and mind healthy through participating in sport and physical activity.”
To download the app, visit your mobile device’s app store and search for Playwaze. Once downloaded, follow the instructions to register and search to join ‘SHAPE Learning Partnership’ and the ‘School Games Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire’ communities.
For further information and to access the guide on how to get set up on the Playwaze app, contact www.shapepartnership.co.uk
SHAPE Learning Partnership supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
