School Age 6 - 12 years old. The golden age of development

The school age is commonly held the golden age of childhood. Provided the children developed normally till now, they will be able to do and learn almost anything. Physically the children now have the same proportions as adults. Their proprioception and sense of balance peak in these years.

We know that good physical exercise habits begin at the age of 6 - 12, and that this is the age when physical literacy should be furthered. The period of life from 6-12 years will be a period of our lives we remember quite well as adults, whereas the earlier periods are usually remembered in glimpses. In language development the six-year-olds will be able to speak fluently and expand the active vocabulary. This means a widening of the ability to play more children together. 6-12yearolds master the experience, because they have learned basic roles and patterns of behaviour, cause and effect, up till now. Now they can concentrate on rules.

There are more or less constant specifics for this age group. But there are also changing societal trends that influence the age group considerably. For one, children's free mobility has decreased as our societies have become more urbanised. More than 50% of the world's population now live in urban areas. Many children lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles. The influence of digital media on the 6-12yearolds' everyday life is considerable. These are among the changes in children's life that need to be considered when we want to cater for their play in outdoor play areas.

School yards as culture carriers
The challenge of getting children in motion has to be taken up by schools, as schools are not only learning environments for academic skills any longer, but play a major role in the socialization of our children. The school is the biggest culture carrier for our kids. In this sense a quick look at schoolyard playgrounds in Europe is rather discouraging.

Most have quite nice sports fields, mainly possessed by the over 10 year old boys playing football. The activities for the 5 -10 year olds are limited to a swing set or some old combination system with few physical challenges. The girls above 10 have no or few challenges. From a child perspective, a valid conclusion of the state of the schoolyard area is that play is not important.

Use it or lose it!
Luckily, some schools are investing more time and money in their outdoor play areas, as it is getting common knowledge that learning skills are connected to physical skills. An active lifestyle with play, physical exercise and sports makes human beings alert and healthy. Physically active children and young people are emotionally more stable, are integrated more firmly into social networks and are better learners. By using their bodies in playful outdoor activity in well equipped and well planned play areas, school children not only build up physical literacy - they first and foremost take joy in physical activity.

Further reading:
1. Millward Brown based survey, published in Brandchild, Martin Lindstrøm and Patricia B. Seybold, 2003
2. IOTF, The International Obesity Task Force, www.iotf.orgmediaeuobesity.pdf