Keep active in the classroom with Bizzy Breaks

To mark Active School Week 2022 (Tuesday 03 May to Friday 06 May) the Irish Heart Foundation has added new activities to its very popular interactive Bizzy Breaks programme which helps keep children active in the classroom.

Bizzy Breaks is a collection of activities for primary school pupils designed to help schools integrate physical activity breaks into the school day and keep children moving during Active School Week 2022 (#ASW22).  You’ll find plenty of ideas for movement and mindfulness breaks, including Bizzy Breaks as Gaeilge, Sosanna Spleodracha.

The two new Bizzy Breaks resources for #ASW22 are interactive powerpoints that work as a board game .

The first: ‘Bizzy Breaks Moves Game’ is ideal for junior classes and requires no equipment. The second:  ‘Bizzy Breaks Beanbag Board’ suits children of all ages and requires one beanbag per pupil as it consists solely of beanbag moves.

Commenting Laura Hickey, Children and Young People Manager at the Irish Heart Foundation said, “Active School Week is an important and exciting part of the school calendar, the Irish Heart Foundation is delighted to support schools again this year.”

Bizzy Breaks can be easily incorporated as movement breaks in the classroom. The Irish Heart Foundation’s aim for Active School Week is to build movement throughout the day and show how easy and fun it can be.

Bizzy Breaks help to reduce sedentary behaviour and demonstrate how short quick breaks lead to that important 60 minutes of physical activity children need daily for good health. Bizzy Breaks also adds fun and movement to the classroom throughout Active School Week and beyond.

Laura Hickey explained how the movement breaks benefit students, “We are encouraging schools to adopt movement breaks throughout the day to break up sitting time in classrooms; this helps keep children’s hearts healthy not just now but into the future. For Active School Week 2022 we have created two interactive board games which promote movement and schools also have access to our suite of activities and resources in Bizzy Breaks for bizzy bodies and bizzy minds.”

As a part of Active School Week 2022, The Irish Heart Foundation is also running a competition offering schools the chance to win 20 sets of beanbag activity packs, including a beanbag for everyone in the class.

To enter the competition, all you have to do is email schools@irishheart.ie telling us what your favourite Bizzy Break is.

#ASW22 is part of the Active School Flag (ASF) initiative of the Department of Education, supported by Healthy Ireland and administered through Mayo Education Centre. The aim of the programme is to get ‘More Schools. More Active. More Often’. ASF is awarded to schools that strive to achieve a physically educated and physically active school community.

For more information on fun ways to get active during Active Schools Week with The Irish Heart Foundation’s Bizzy Breaks see here.

All of the #ASW22 resources, ideas and supports are accessible here.