An extra hour in school might sound like every kid's worst nightmare, but new research from Weetabix suggests that British children would welcome a longer school day…but only if it made more room for sport.
Parenting on Female First
Over half of the children surveyed by the nation's favourite breakfast cereal said they would like to play more sport at school, with 47% willing to extend their school day to make sure it happened.
The report suggests that such a move could also be beneficial to parents as 60% said that watching their kids play sport encouraged them to play more themselves. There was also a suggestion of a generational shift as half of parents surveyed said that they played more sport in their youth than their child currently does.
However, if kids are to get an extra hour of sport – a healthier approach to breakfast may be required to fuel it. Nearly half of kids surveyed admitted skipping breakfast at least one a week, while 15% say they never eat the most important meal of the day.
When asked what prevents kids from playing more sport, just under one in five blamed general tiredness, while a worrying 15% said that they didn't play more because they get their sport fix from playing on games console.
The report coincides with the launch of the Weetabix Ultimate Sports Day. The campaign aims to encourage children and parents across the UK to fuel future champions with Weetabix, by inspiring kids to get active and reigniting the passion for sport the nation felt during the 2012 Olympics. Children are invited to design a unique and exciting obstacle they would like to see at their own sports day, with two winners then seeing their creations come to life at an exciting day of sport at the Olympic Park this summer.
On top of the Ultimate Sports Day, hundreds of kids across the UK are in with the chance to win a range of prizes, including sports equipment for their school and individual prizes such as top-of-the-range trainers.
The campaign has won the backing of double Olympic gold medalist and now marathon runner Mo Farah - who will feature in TV adverts and on-pack promotion to champion the cause.
London 2012 hero Mo Farah commented: "As an athlete, and more importantly as a dad, I know how vital it is to inspire kids get active - and a big part of that is making sure they get a nutritious start to the day.
"I'm really excited to be involved in the Weetabix Ultimate Sports Day and hopefully we can find some future champions at the event in July"
Wendy French, Senior Brand Manager at Weetabix added: "We're really excited about this campaign and are delighted to have a such a great role model in Mo Farah involved – he is the perfect example of what hard work and determination can achieve (along with a nutritious breakfast!)
"The survey revealed that, two years on, the magic of the Olympics can still inspire and excite the next generation. A quarter of children said they would give up their games console for the chance to take part in a sports day at the Olympic Park and nearly half (43%) said they would quit fast food - so we're hoping the campaign will capture the imagination of the nation's kids."
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