Active Kids - Primary School

Active Kids is a Wyndham City initiative designed to encourage healthy eating habits and increased physical activity in children aged 8 to 10 years (Grades 3 and 4). Active Kids provides schools and teachers with a simple and flexible curriculum-based program to help students and their families to make healthier lifestyle choices.

School Expression of Interest

Please refer to the updated Information Sheet for an overview of the 2025 Active Kids Program, including curriculum outline, delivery methods, resources and school requirements.

If your school is interested in being a part of this exciting program, please complete the online Expression of Interest Form.

If you have any questions regarding the 2024 Active Kids program, please feel free to contact Camilla Briggs, Inclusion & Participation Officer at camilla.briggs@wyndham.vic.gov.au or on 8734 0219.

Why the Active Kids program?

25% of Wyndham’s population is less than 14 years old, which is much higher than Greater Melbourne.

At Primary school age children learn positive habits for a healthy and active lifestyle. Council aims to support schools and their communities to develop lifelong active and healthy lifestyles and connect with physical activity opportunities.

The Active Kids program was designed by Wyndham City to support Wyndham Primary schools to encourage more 8 to 10 year old children (grade 3 and 4) to be physically active and eat healthily through an 8-week program that aligns to the school curriculum.

Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Guidelines

The Australian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that children (age 5 to 17 years) should

do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. This includes organised sport, leisure activities such as dance and skateboarding, and informal activities such as walking/ running
limit time spent sitting and lying down
spend no more than two hours per day on electronic devices

Current activity and lifestyle statistics

Most Australian children are not active enough and spend too much time in front of screens.

In 2017-18 a quarter of children were above a healthy weight (AIHW 2018)
3 out of 4 (74%) children aged 5 to 12 do not achieve the 60 minute daily physical activity guideline (AIHW 2012)
2 out of 3 (65%) children aged 5 to 12 exceed the recommended daily maximum 2 hours sedentary screen-based behaviour (AIHW 2018).
4 out of 10 children aged 5 to 14 do not participate in organised physical activity outside of school (Australian Sports Commission 2018).
As children get older their physical activity decreases and screen-time increases:
- Achieving the physical activity guidelines: 32% at 5 to 9 years decreasing to 15% at 10 to 14 years
- Exceeding Screen-time guidelines: 61% at 5 to 9 year olds increasing to 74% at 10 to 14 years) (AIHW 2020 )

Research shows that low active lifestyles, an unbalanced diet and obesity leads to longterm health issues. Establishing active lifestyles and healthy eating patterns at a young age can help to protect children against disease and provide a better quality of life.

Physical activity, screen time and eating habits have changed a lot, with many habits becoming ‘normal’; children and families need support and prompts to create a better balance.

For more information go to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Australia’s Children Report 2020.

Current Australian obesity, activity and diet research shows that we need to take action:

Victorian adult obesity rates have increased by 40 per cent in the last 20 years; two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. (DHHS 2015) Almost one in four Victorian children are overweight or obese. (ABS 2019)

A poor diet and being overweight or obese is one of Victoria’s greatest health challenges. (OPC 2017)

Overweight and obesity, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are risk factors for chronic health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and several cancers.

Almost 40% of Victorian children’s total daily energy intake is from discretionary foods (ABS 2012) – highly processed foods and drinks that are not considered part of a healthy diet (NHMRC 2013) replacing healthy nutritious foods.

Very few Victorian children or adults meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines’ recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake. Only 5% of Victorian adults and 6.5% of Victorian children meet both fruit and vegetables recommended amounts. (ABS 2019)

This information and more can be found at: ‘A Healthier Start for Victorians – Healthy Eating and Active Living Roundtable’

Children above a healthy weight are more likely to remain overweight or obese as teens and adults. (Better Health Channel)

If people are active as young children, they’re more likely to stay active through childhood and develop good habits to support becoming healthier teens and adults. (Department of Health and Ageing 2009, Get Up & Grow)

Factors causing children to become overweight and obese include:

Unhealthy food – foods high in fat, salt and sugar
Lack of physical activity – most children don’t do the daily 60 minute minimum
Spending a lot of time on sedentary pursuits – on average children spend 2½ hours watching television a day, as well as time on electronic devices; replacing active pursuits
Overweight parents – a family’s eating patterns can influence a child’s weight, making it hard to recognise that a child is overweight
Genetics – some rare gene disorders cause severe childhood obesity. In some people, genes acting together may make them more likely to gain weight. A family tendency to be overweight, may mean the whole family needs to make healthy food choices.

This information and more can be found at Better Health Channel.

To help our children grow into healthy and happy adults we need to encourage:

Organised sports and physical activities (ie clubs and lessons)
Informal activities (ie active play, skateboarding)
Active travel (swapping car journeys)
Healthier food choices and habits

Create an active environment which encourages kids to enjoy being active, these will all help to create an active mindset:

Clothes that they can be active in
Equipment available at break times
Activity breaks within lessons
Links to community activities
Teaching foundation physical activity skills at school
Building physical confidence

Reduce access to high sugar/ high fat foods so they are seen as sometimes foods and not daily food and increase the perception of healthy balanced meals and snacks as ‘normal’ to help to create a better balance.

The Active Kids program is designed to provide information about physical activity and healthy eating, while providing opportunities for children and their families to start positive habits and include physical activity and healthy eating into their lifestyle.

Why get involved?

Children need to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity which gets their hearts beating faster and breathing faster each day – 3 in 4 children do not achieve this. 2 out of 3 children exceed the guideline of a maximum of 2 hours screen time a day.

Increased screen time and lower physical activity levels result in reduced confidence, social competence, physical literacy, strength and fitness. Many families are making less healthy snack and food choices whilst every social occasion whether family, sport, school or community based has increased unhealthy food options. Equipping children with the knowledge to make healthier choices to navigate these occasions is important.

Active Kids allows you to bring a positive healthy lifestyle focus through creation of easily achieved healthy habits. Evidence shows us that healthy and active kids concentrate better in the classroom, are more engaged and motivated, are less stressed, more resilient and play better with others.

Active Kids can be used to incorporate other learning goals and can also contribute to the Department of Education’s Active Schools program and Framework.

What does Active Kids cover?

The Active Kids curriculum covers key healthy eating and physical activity themes for children, weekly themes include:

What is Physical Fitness?
Healthy Eating Habits
Move & Play Everyday
Fruit and Vegetables
Active Families
Sometimes Foods
Staying Active
Healthy Meals

School Student Surveys

Student Survey for all participating primary schools.

Student Survey #1 – Pre-Program (before week 1)
Student Survey #2– Post-Program (after week 8)

If you have any issue accessing either survey please feel free to contact Camilla Briggs, Inclusion & Participation Officer at camilla.briggs@wyndham.vic.gov.au or on 8734 0219.

Weekly Activities – At School and At Home

Wyndham City’s Sport and Recreation team has put together some additional weekly activities to help support Active Kids through the 8-week program both at school and at home.

Week 1 – ‘What is Physical Fitness’ - Information & Activities

Week 2 – ‘Healthy Eating Habits - Information & Activities

Week 3 – ‘Move and Play Everyday’ - Information & Activities

Week 4 – ‘Fruit and Vegetables’ - Information & Activities

Week 5 – ‘Active Families’ - Information & Activities

Week 6 – ‘Sometimes Foods’ - Information & Activities

Week 7 – ‘Staying Active’ - Information & Activities

Week 8 – ‘Healthy Meals’ - Information & Activities

School ‘Active Kids’ session

A school Active Kids session is an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the students’ learning through the program and encourage families to be active together.

The session could include teachers and classes organising an after-school event inviting parents/ carers and siblings to join in and get active.

Students plan a variety of physical activities for their families
This can be delivered by the students (with Teacher assistance), teacher led, or with an external Active Kids Partner – see full list below.
Sessions can involve all participating classes, or individual classes depending on space and equipment capacity.
This is a chance for students to showcase the activities they enjoy and share the benefits of getting active.
Alternatively, students may prefer to organise something similar for other classes in school

If you would like to explore ideas please contact Camilla Briggs on 8734 0219 or Camilla.briggs@wyndham.vic.gov.au to discuss your schools ideas and questions.

How do schools deliver Active Kids?

The Active Kids program can be delivered across any term in 2025, however community connections run from term 2 onwards.

Active Kids is flexible. Adapt it to suit your school. The main components are a weekly classroom activity (delivered by classroom teacher or PE teacher) and/ or a weekly at-home task.

*If the school would like to explore other delivery options or requires more information please contact to discuss.

School Requirements – What does the school need to do to deliver Active Kids?

Submit an Expression of Interest – see the School Expression of Interest box above
Identify an Active Kids School Coordinator – they will be the main contact between Council, School/ Classroom Teachers and any Providers.
Create an Active Kids team – who deliver the Active Kids program across the year group(s). You may already have a team focused on student health and wellbeing, incorporating the program into the school’s vision will help to strengthen the program and link it into other school policies and initiatives
Attend the Active Kids Information Meeting at the end of Term 1 to pick up program resources and discuss the implementation of Active Kids, and further opportunities/ support available from Council and Partners
Deliver Active Kids Program including:
- Weekly activities based on program themes
- Distribute student resources including Passports, Stickers, Reward Vouchers and Certificates.
Administer the online pre and post student survey (incorporating these into your lessons works best)
Liaise with Active Kids Providers to arrange free in-school activity sessions
Complete teachers survey
Distribute Active Kids information to parents through school newsletters and other appropriate methods

Please note for those schools who signed up to deliver programs in 2024

The Active Kids Classroom posters are designed to be re-usable from year to year to save on printing, please hold onto these.

For more information, please contact:

Camilla Briggs
Inclusion and Participation Officer
Ph: 03 8734 0219

Get Active - Videos and More

Looking for some fun interactive videos you can follow at home or at school? Check out these activities from some Active Kids Partners that you can follow anytime and will get you moving.

Werribee Football Club – interACTIVE Community Classes:
Online videos from 15 to 20 minutes teaching core Football skills and drills.

Wyndham Basketball Association – Aussie Hoops Player Skill Videos

Super quick videos to learn and master Basketball basics:

Week 1 Ball Handling Skills (1min)

Week 2 Ball Handling Skills (1:29min)

Week 3 Ball Handling Skills (1:38min)

Week 4 Passing Skills (1:16min)

Week 5 Agility Skills (0:54min)

WBA have over 150 videosfor Beginners to advanced, from key skills to strength and speed work.

WynActive Fitness Workouts

Get moving with these 6 to 20 minute workouts designed just for kids

Active Kids Workout 1 (19:55min)

Active Kids Workout 2 (12:37min)

Active Kids Workout 3 (6:56min)

Active Kids Workout 4 (15:40min)

Active Kids Stretching (21:22min)

See more WynActive videos from yoga to workouts for younger and older kids here.

Williams Landing FC Soccer Warm Up & Drills

Super short drills to sharpen up your football skills and a good warm-up to follow.

Get Active Victoria

AAA Play Find an Activity

Supporting people of all ages with disabilities to find physical activity opportunities across Victoria.

Disability Online Active

Short workouts you can do at home while introducing you to new sports.

Disclaimer

The information contained on the Active Kids webpage is general in nature and does not take into account your/ your child’s particular circumstances. You are entirely responsible for deciding whether the information on this webpage is suitable for your/your child’s needs and you use this webpage at your own risk.

Council recommends that you seek medical advice for your child’s individual nutritional and/ or physical activity requirements. Children should be supervised by an adult when undertaking physical activity.

Council makes no guarantee about the quality, reliability, accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this webpage or in any of the third party websites that this webpage provides links to.

To the extent permitted by law, Council accepts no liability for any injury, loss, costs or damage whatsoever suffered or incurred in connection with your use of this webpage and the available resources, or for the content of any third party websites to which this webpage provides links to.

Where to get Active in Wyndham

Wyndham’s Recreation Facilities

Wyndham has a wide range of recreation facilities, activities and services to offer. Some of Wyndham’s main recreation facilities include:

AquaPulse (Indoor swimming pools, water slides and gym including swimming lessons and fitness classes)
80 Derrimut Road, Hoppers Crossing
Phone: 8734 5678
Werribee Outdoor Pool
80-82 Derrimut Road
Hoppers Crossing
Phone: 9741 3218
Eagle Stadium (Indoor sports courts and gym including Basketball, Table Tennis and Badminton clubs)
35 Ballan Road, Werribee
Phone: 8734 5677

Wyndham has a number of sporting reserves, home to clubs offering sports from beginner to elite sporting level. There are a large number of parks with bike and walking trails, walking groups, water activities and dog off lead areas.

There are many opportunities to participate in recreation in Wyndham, to gain more information regarding what is available please check out the web links identified below:

Active Wyndham Calendar (find free or low cost activities)
Active Wyndham Map (find sports clubs and fitness facilities)
Bike and Walking Trails in Wyndham
Outdoor Exercise Equipment including Skateparks, Bouldering Wall and BMX track
Activity Cards
Activities in Wyndham (Wyndham’s What’s On)
Sporting Facilities and playgrounds in Wyndham
Walking Groups in Wyndham
Dog Off Lead areas in Wyndham

Program Resources

All participating primary schools receive program resources to deliver fundamental healthy eating and physical activity knowledge, examples of our older resources are below:

Active Kids Student Passport (Pre 2022 version)
Healthy & Active Classroom Daily Challenge Posters (Pre 2022 version)
Activity Card - Recess Schoolyard Workout
Activity Card - Playground Family Workout

Active Kids Passport

All students receive an Active Kids Passport which links to each weekly theme. Students record their ‘physical activity’ and ‘healthy eating’ habits (e.g. servings of fruit and vegetables). This is a fun way to learn more about physical activity and healthy eating.

Students receive a sticker when they complete each week’s task.

Healthy Eating and Active Classroom Daily Challenge Posters

These posters encourage positive daily actions in the classroom. Classes choose small and simple tasks for each student to complete linking to what they are learning. the tasks encourage students to identify opportunities to include physical activity and healthy eating into daily living.

Participant Rewards

Schools email families a sheet of Reward vouchers for students to try activities for free at local physical activity providers. At the end of the program students may also receive a Certificate.

School Activity Sessions

Program Partners deliver free Activity sessions in schools. The sessions are designed to provide new experiences and promote local junior sport and physical activity programs.

Active Kids Program Partners who offered children’s rewards and school activity sessions for 2024 included:

Altona Hockey Club
Cricket Victoria and Melbourne Renegades Cricket Team
Hockey Victoria (Hockey Club Melbourne)
Hoppers Crossing Karate School
Hoppers Crossing Netball Association
NRL Victoria
PointCookDance
Rocketstars Academy
Sport Star Academy (cricket)
Veg Education
Werribee Football Club
Werribee Hockey Club
Western Leisure Services (WynActive)
Western United Football Club
Wyndham Basketball Association
Wyndham Netball Association

Wyndham City appreciate the effort of all Active Kids Partners in 2024 for offering opportunities to Wyndham’s children.

Additional Resources for Schools

Transform Us (Deakin University’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN))

This program combines strategies across classroom, schools and home to get students moving more and sitting less. Transform-Us! is available to all Victorian Primary schools.

Complete a short 20 to 30 minute online training to gain free access to Health lesson plans, ideas to incorporate Active Breaks and Active Lessons, Active Homework, posters and more.

Active Schools

The Department of Education’s Active Schools program provides support and resources for schools to get kids moving. The Active Schools Framework uses a holistic approach to support students to be active through six priority areas:

Quality physical education
Quality school sport
Active Classrooms
Active Travel
Active Recreation
Supportive School Environment

The online Active Schools Toolkit provides guidance, strategies and resources that school leaders and teachers can use to become an Active School.

Wyndham’s Active Kids program can support schools on their journey to becoming an Active School.

Playing for Life (Sport Australia)

Inspiration for school lessons and activities - game-based activity cards for all primary school years aligned to the Australian Curriculum and Australian Physical Literacy Framework. They have been designed to develop a love of movement and physical activity that will encourage children to play for life.

Sports Ability (Sport Australia)

Inclusive activity cards for all levels of ability, designed to develop children’s skills, confidence and motivation for sports-based activities.

Nestle for Healthier Kids School Program (Australian Institute of Sport)

A free teaching resource presenting an overarching design challenge – to design an Athlete’s Village - supported by a range of differentiated physical and inquiry-based activities for K-6 students. All activities are linked to the Australian curriculum, can be used independently or as part of a Health and Physical Education unit of work and explored at their own pace.

Youth Sports Trust Free Resources

YST is the UK’s leading charity for education and development through sport and play. They have created and collated 3 pages of Top tips and resources for lessons and for families, including 60 second challenges, game cards, ethnicity and faith resources, inclusion and leadership.

Physical Literacy: Guide for Schools (Sport Australia)

Framework to support and develop quality physical activity experiences through schools.

Physical Activity & Healthy Eating Tips

Physical Activity

Healthy Eating

Fun Stuff

The Active Kids Program promotes the importance of being active and having fun and eating a wide choice of healthy food. See the websites below for inspiration:

Fun Games and Activities

Wyndham Explorer – Search for clues and answer questions at 11 parks across Wyndham
Getting Active as a Family

Cooking ideas for kids

Find Sports clubs and Activity providers on our Active Wyndham Map

Find free and low cost activities on our Active Wyndham Calendar

Want to know more about healthy living? Check out LiveLighter’s page for families

Disclaimer

The information contained on the Active Kids webpage is general in nature and does not take into account your/ your child’s particular circumstances. You are entirely responsible for deciding whether the information on this webpage is suitable for your/ your child’s needs and you use this webpage at your own risk.

Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians

Wyndham City Council recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Peoples of Australia. We acknowledge the Bunurong and Wadawurrung Peoples as Traditional Owners of the lands on which Wyndham City operates. The Wadawurrung and Bunurong Peoples have and always will belong to the Werribee Yalook (river), creeks, stars, hills and red clay of this Country. We pay respect to their Ancestors and Elders who always have, and always will, care for Country and community today and for future generations.