Youth Sport Trust is helping to make mornings more active as part of the Department for Education’s free breakfast club programme.

Every free breakfast club has just received a new a box of LEGO® bricks, and will soon receive a Youth Sport Trust Young Leaders Active Start Pack and a voucher for sports equipment from Sports Directory, giving schools practical tools to offer more opportunities for play, movement and connection at the start of the school day.

Physical activity has a multitude of physical and cognitive benefits, and starting the day with a healthy breakfast and the chance to be active can help children feel energised and ready to learn. At a time when schools are working to tackle school absences, sport and play also create valuable time to have fun, build friendships and strengthen a sense of belonging within the school community.

These opportunities can be especially important for children who face barriers to participation or have fewer chances to access sport and physical activity beyond the school day. By making play and movement part of breakfast club provision, schools can help more children discover activities they enjoy.

The Youth Sport Trust Young Leaders Active Start Pack is designed to help schools involve children and young people in shaping activities and creating a welcoming environment for everyone.

Young leaders will be able to introduce games, encourage others to join in and help their peers find new ways to be active together. Schools can use the resources to develop a youth-led approach or build on existing sport leadership opportunities, empowering young people to grow in confidence, develop new skills and help others feel included.

Minister Paul Waugh said:  

"We know that play is a vital aspect of childhood development – helping kids build confidence, creativity and the social skills they need to thrive, both in the classroom and beyond.  That is why introducing new LEGO® sets, sports activities and equipment, into our free breakfast clubs, giving hundreds of thousands more children an even more active and playful start to their school day.

"And it’s brilliant news that families are feeling the benefits too - a less stressed start to the day for children and their parents, giving them that needed breathing space in the mornings and saving them hundreds of pounds each year.”

Ali Oliver MBE, Youth Sport Trust CEO, said:

“Empowering young leaders to deliver inclusive, peer-led opportunities has always been central to the work we do at the Youth Sport Trust and is a significant influencing factor in young people's engagement with sport. Free breakfast clubs offer a chance to help children start the day positively by getting moving and feeling more connected to their school community. With the Youth Sport Trust Young Leaders Active Start Pack, we hope this will support schools to encourage their children to take the lead, helping them to enjoy being active, as well as build confidence, develop new skills and learn to use their voices to shape the activities they want to take part in." 

Chris Kemp, General Manager at Sports Directory, said:  

“How children start the day matters. Free Breakfast Clubs give children a valuable opportunity to move, play and connect with others before the school day begins, which can have a significant impact on their readiness to learn, among many other benefits. We’re proud to support this through the Young Leaders Active Start pack, giving schools practical resources to help make active, inclusive child-led play part of the morning.” 

Christian Pau, General Manager for the UK & Ireland at the LEGO Group, said:  

“We are delighted to support the Department for Education's Free Breakfast Clubs programme.  These clubs give children a healthy breakfast and a positive start to the day where they can play and socialise with friends, setting them up to be ready to learn. We know how important play is to children's development, and the LEGO Group is committed to fostering learning through play and helping children grow in confidence and creativity. That's why we are thrilled to offer LEGO® bricks to all free breakfast club schools, helping create playful, engaging mornings where children can learn, imagine and thrive. " 

Youth Sport Trust Young Leader resources are also available for free to all schools that register for a free account on Youth Sport Trust Training and Resources Hub.