Pupils at a Shropshire primary school have been put through their paces by a soldier and world champion kick-boxer as part of a healthy lifestyle initiative.
The youngsters at Crudgington Primary School have been taking part in their annual Healthy Lifestyles Week where they got chance to try out activities to boost their wellbeing.
Headteacher Hannah Gharu said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn how to keep themselves healthy.
“The aim of the week was to introduce the children to a range of fitness activities and sports, educate them about healthy eating, and focus on their emotional wellbeing.”
One of the many activities was a bootcamp led by a local soldier who put the children through drill training, and encouraged them to take part in tug-of-war games and “beat the soldier” races.
The pupils took part in healthy eating sessions too, where the school nurse team explained the importance of a balanced healthy diet, and the children then had the opportunity to make their own fruit salad.
“We’ve had tennis with external coaches from We Do Tennis, and kick-boxing classes led by world champion kick boxer Lee Whitfield.”
Early years and Key Stage 1 children also took part in “Wheelie Wednesday” where they brought in their scooters and spent the day burning energy on the playground.
The week ended with football sessions thanks with Crossbar, which uses sport and physical activity as a tool to aid the all round development of children and young adults, plus mindfulness sessions and yoga.
Class five pupils said they had really enjoyed the packed programme of activities. Caia Powell said: “I enjoyed experiencing all of the week but especially the tennis as I have now joined a tennis club outside of school.
Charles Christiansen added: “I really enjoyed having the nurses come in and talk about healthy eating. Since the assembly I have added fruit to my morning Weetabix.”
Emilee Parry said it had encouraged her to take more interest in sport, and Evie Hatfield and Phoebe Houlston both spoke said the physical activities had made them feel healthier.
Hannah said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity to introduce the children to a range of different sports and activities to support their physical health and emotional well-being.
“We have had a wonderfully, busy week, that wouldn’t have been possible without the support from local volunteers.
“We would like to thank everybody involved, including the soldier who led our bootcamp, Lee Whitfield, from Bailang Kickboxing Academy, and the team at Crossbar.”
