Scuola Primaria: spazi ambientali e temporali per l'educazione motoria

Today’s children have a great need for both quantitative and qualitative movement opportunities to avoid the detrimental effects of unhealthy eating and physical inactivity (e.g. hypokinesia) as well as so-called ‘motor illiteracy’. Global recommendations such as those proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that children and adolescents should undertake at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day in order not only to reap physical and mental benefits but also to encourage the development of social, relational, moral and self-controlling behaviours. This paper aims to identify strategies to achieve these objectives and accordingly, to take stock of the situation regarding the opportunities for physical activity, which can be accomplished by the appropriate planning and organization of both physical environments (e.g. classrooms, gyms, natural spaces) and in-school curricular and non-curricular time. In order to promote active lifestyles in children and adolescents, primary schools should not limit their educational effort and action to curricular moments in the gym (e.g. physical education hours) but, in addition, should revise and reconsider the environments, intervals and transport methods used between home and school.