Key Priority Area
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.
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.
More opportunities for students to move, play and be active throughout the school day.
Active recreation supports friendships, belonging and positive wellbeing outcomes.
A variety of recreation opportunities helps more students find enjoyable ways to participate.
Start with simple, low-cost strategies that make better use of your existing spaces, people and resources.
Explore practical ways to support Active Recreation across the four implementation areas.
Support student voice and leadership in designing and delivering recreation opportunities, including peer-led and student-led programs.
Activate play spaces by training staff and student leaders to facilitate inclusive activities during recess and lunch.
Provide a variety of inclusive recreation opportunities such as activity clubs, themed events and house-based programs that prioritise participation and social connection.
Integrate active play and recreation into classroom learning and offer outdoor education experiences to promote lifelong engagement in physical activity.
Partner with community providers to deliver diverse programs beyond traditional school sport and broaden participation opportunities.
Provide students with regular opportunities to participate in active recreation before school, during breaks and after school.
Create safe, inclusive and engaging environments that encourage active play through access to appropriate spaces and equipment.
Encourage students to spend time outdoors during breaks and provide alternative opportunities for physical activity when weather conditions are unfavourable.
Embed active recreation within school planning, policies and programs to ensure student movement and participation are supported across the school community.
Consider local providers to support Active Recreation through incursions and excursions.
Utilise local outdoor education and before and after school providers.
Establish joint-use agreements for school recreational facilities and encourage pathways for students to engage in active recreation beyond school.
Increase student awareness of active recreation opportunities and providers within their local community.
Review and activate underused spaces by converting them into accessible activity zones to increase opportunities for active play and recreation.
Provide inclusive and adaptable environments, including shaded or undercover areas, to support active play in all weather conditions.
Create structured activity zones with accessible equipment, line markings and clear prompts to encourage diverse, student-led and creative play.
Incorporate engaging and nature-based elements such as logs, balance beams, climbing structures and obstacle courses.
Ensure spaces support a range of participation options, including non-competitive, social and skill-based play alongside traditional sport.
Use these resources to support the planning and delivery of active recreation opportunities that encourage participation, connection and enjoyment for all students. For more resources, visit the Resource Hub.
Student surveys, leadership programs and consultation tools.
Games, lunchtime activities and participation initiatives.
Play spaces, loose parts play, nature play and playground activation.
Outdoor education providers, incursions and excursions.
This page includes resources developed by Active Education Australia together with links to external organisations that support implementation of the Active Schools Framework. External resources remain the intellectual property of their respective organisations.
Learn more about acknowledgements →
Explore how schools have implemented successful recreation initiatives.
Discover how Ararat College partnered with Reclink Australia to create more active, inclusive and engaging lunchtime experiences for students.
See how a daily movement program helps students feel energised, focused and ready to learn each day.
Explore how student-led initiatives are creating more opportunities for students to move, connect and belong.
Choose your next step based on your school’s context and available resources.
Ask students what activities, spaces and opportunities would help them be more active during breaks.
Transform an underused area into an active recreation zone using existing equipment and resources.
Develop a coordinated approach that includes student leadership, inclusive activities and community partnerships.
Each Key Priority Area includes implementation guidance, school examples and practical resources.
Embed movement into everyday learning.
Create inclusive opportunities for active play.
Encourage active journeys to and from school.
Deliver engaging, high-quality physical education.
Provide inclusive and meaningful school sport.
Create environments that make movement the easy choice.
Use the Resource Hub, explore school stories or connect with the Active Schools Expert Support Service to identify practical next steps.
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The Active Schools Toolkit has been developed for the Victorian Department of Education by Active Education Australia.
