It is so important for children of all ages to stay active, fit and healthy. Not only to improve the overall health of their heart and body, but also for their mental wellbeing. It offers the perfect opportunity to practice various skills learnt through lessons and play, such as communication with their peers and encouraging healthy competition amongst themselves.
With growing levels of childhood obesity throughout the UK, and a pressure on schools to ensure that their pupils are reaching the recommended levels of activity for their age group, the implementation of a solution such as The Daily Mile is becoming increasingly popular.
At Red Monkey Play, we are passionate about creating playground equipment that is accessible and stimulating for children of all ages and abilities. In support of the research undertaken by The University of Stirling and The Daily Mile, we actively create playgrounds that encourage prolonged periods of physical activity.
What Is The Daily Mile?
The Daily Mile is a programme that has been adopted by over 11,000 schools and over 1 million children across 25 countries throughout the world. Over 2,000 schools across the UK are taking part in this challenge. This programme encourages around 15 minutes of exercise every day, including walking or lightly jogging, equating to a distance of one mile. Essentially, the aim of this programme is to encourage children to jog a mile a day, on top of any pre-existing sports sessions or P.E. lessons. In primary schools in particular, the exercise completed is primarily walking and many schools encourage parents to participate in the activity. This makes the entire experience more engaging and fun for the children to take part in.
What Are The Benefits Of The Daily Mile?
There have been a number of benefits reported through the implementation of the Daily Mile, including:
- The overall improvement of fitness, strength and reduction of body fat
- The improvement of cardiovascular health, bone density, motor skills and balance
- Contributes to the recommended level of daily exercise for children
- Improvement of children’s mood, concentration, memory and overall cognitive behaviour
- Helps to improve relationships between peers and teachers
- Helps to reduce anxiety and anger levels, with many children reporting they feel calmer after completion
- Contributes to the overall reduction in childhood obesity
- Easy to implement, both in the school curriculum and in the layout of the school playground setting
- Adaptable to suit the needs of the school and its pupils
- Staff are not required to undergo any specific training
- No equipment is needed and the exercise is completed outdoors
- No preparation or post clean up
- No need for children to change into sportswear, it can be done in their uniforms
What Should My Daily Mile Track Be Made Out Of?
If you’re looking to implement a Daily Mile track in your school playground, there are a number of ways that this can be achieved.
Rubber Bonded Mulch Or Wet-Pour Surfacing
Rubber bonded mulch and wet-pour surfacing offer an attractive alternative to the conventional concrete flooring and provide a dedicated track that stands out against the rest of the playground’s surfacing.
These materials are incredibly durable and resistant to the wear and tear of hundreds of running children, day in and day out. Made from shock-absorbent materials, these surfacings take the impact of a child’s weight, making it easier on their joints and if they take a tumble. Porous in nature, excess water is absorbed and drained away, vastly minimising the risk of accidents.
Floor Markings
More durable than their painted counterparts, floor markings provide a vibrant, stimulating and exciting option for marking out the route of your Daily Mile track. These can be used to measure distances or simply provide encouraging and motivational opportunities for children to challenge themselves. For example, how quickly can I make it to sticker number five? Can I get there quicker than yesterday?
How Can Red Monkey Play Help You?
At Red Monkey Play, we are proud to support the Daily Mile programme and are believers in everything the charity stands for. Having installed playgrounds and equipment in schools across the entirety of the UK, we can provide a variety of surfaces and designs for the creation of your school’s Daily Mile track, whether we’re installing from scratch or building upon your pre-existing playground surfacing.
For more information or advice on how to implement a Daily Mile programme into your curriculum and what surfacing works best for your playground, please get in touch with a member of our friendly team. You can email us at hello@redmonkeyplay.co.uk or call our London office on 020 38445 525 or our Leicester office on 0116 366 9922 to book a free consultation.
