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KPA Active Recreation

Key Priority Area

Active Recreation

Creating opportunities for students to be active before, during and after school supports engagement, inclusion and overall wellbeing.  

Active Recreation is one of the most accessible ways to increase student physical activity, connection and wellbeing, often using the spaces, equipment and people your school already has.

Overview
Resources
Schools in Action

Where does Active Recreation fit in?

Active Recreation includes structured and unstructured physical activity opportunities outside of curriculum time, such as recess, lunch, before and after school programs, incursions, excursions and camps. 

Getting started

Planning

Taking action

Monitoring

Sustaining

Why this matters

Active Recreation provides a variety of options for students to move, play and be active throughout the school day. It facilitates greater inclusion and engagement.

Active recreation supports friendships, belonging and positive wellbeing outcomes. It helps students find enjoyable ways to be active.

Top 3 actions to get started

1.

Use student voice to shape recreation opportunities.

2.

Activate underused spaces for active play and recreation.

3.

Offer diverse and inclusive recreation options.

Making it inclusive

Create recreation opportunities that allow every student to participate, connect and enjoy being active.

This might include:

  • offering a mix of structured, unstructured, competitive and social activities
  • providing choice based on different interests, abilities and confidence levels
  • adapting rules, equipment, spaces or group sizes
  • creating quiet, shaded or sensory-friendly activity areas
  • involving students in planning and leading recreation opportunities
  •  

Sustainable practice

Create active recreation opportunities that can be maintained over time and make responsible use of school resources.

This might include:

  • activating existing spaces before creating new ones
  • repairing, reusing and sharing equipment
  • choosing durable, low-maintenance resources
  • designing shaded, green and weather-responsive activity areas
  • building student leadership to help sustain programs
  •  

See it in practice

Real stories from Victorian Schools

Primary School

Ararat College​

Discover how Ararat College partnered with Reclink Australia to create more active, inclusive and engaging lunchtime experiences for students.

Secondary School

Rosebud Secondary College​

Explore how student-led initiatives are creating more opportunities for students to move, connect and belong.

Specialist School

Furlong Park for Deaf Children

See how a daily movement program helps students feel energised, focused and ready to learn each day.

Resources organised by need

Find the right tools and support to help you create more active recreational activities

CREATE GREAT PLAY SPACES

Featured resources:

  • Natrue Play - Play Space Guide
  • School-News Australia - Designing a nature play space
  • Teacher magazine - Challenging and enjoyable playground spaces

BUILD ACTIVE PLAY OPPORTUNITIES

Featured resources:

  • Play Australia – Play in Schools Today
  • Play Australia – Loose Parts Play Toolkit
  • Action for Healthy Kids – Active recess ideas

TAKE LEARNING OUTDOORS

Featured resources:

  • Parks Victoria – Outdoor and nature-based resources
  • Alpine School
  • Snowy River Campus

PLAN SAFE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

Featured resources:

  • Department of Education – Excursions Policy
  • Department of Education – School camps guidance
  • Outdoor Education Leadership Campuses

BUILD KNOWLEDGE AND EVIDENCE

Featured resources:

  • Western Australian Department of Education – Importance of play-based learning
  • Play Australia – Guidance and evidence
  • Teacher Magazine – Playground design and participation

Choose your next step

Find the right tools and support to help you create more active recreation opportunities

Audit your current practice

Plan your next step

Explore quick win ideas

Find a partner or program

Measure and track progress

Acknowledgements | Copyright | Privacy | Accessibility | Contact 

The Active Schools Toolkit has been developed for the Victorian Department of Education by Active Education Australia. 

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