The European School Sport Day (ESSD) is back with an overview of the ever-exciting range of toolkits designed to inspire and promote health and well-being in schools across Europe! Each year, ESSD highlights a key aspect of physical and mental health, offering resources for schools to engage students through sport, focusing on key themes like nutrition, mental health, sustainability, movement, and the educational benefits of physical activity in a fun and inclusive way.

ESSD continues to inspire schools and communities to #BeActive, fostering a love for sport and healthy living. Here’s an overview of the latest toolkits:

2019 Healthy Nutrition Toolkit 
This toolkit focuses on educating children about healthy eating habits, particularly the importance of consuming water, fruits, and vegetables. It emphasises how schools can play a pivotal role in establishing lifelong healthy habits. Through activities like drawing contests, water-drinking challenges, and personalised water bottle initiatives, schools are encouraged to make nutrition fun and engaging.

Key features include:
•    Simple nutrition rules (e.g., eat more fruits and vegetables, choose fresh produce, and drink water).
•    Fun activities such as personalised bottles, healthy snacks preparation, and poster-making competitions.
•    Community involvement, like partnering with local producers to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to schools.

2020 Mental Health Toolkit
In response to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Mental Health Toolkit emphasises the link between physical activity and mental well-being. It provides schools with resources to promote mental health and resilience, especially in challenging times. This toolkit highlights the importance of physical activity in reducing stress, boosting self-esteem, and preventing mental health issues like depression.

Key features include:
•    Guidance on how physical activity supports mental health.
•    Ideas for creating supportive environments within schools.
•    Activity suggestions to promote well-being, such as outdoor games, nature walks, and relaxation techniques like yoga.

2021 Movement Spaces Toolkit
The 2021 toolkit encourages schools to create spaces that promote physical activity. Whether indoors or outdoors, the focus is on making movement a natural part of daily life for children. This toolkit provides practical ideas for schools with varying space limitations, encouraging creativity in how spaces can be adapted for physical activity.

Key features include:
•    Utilising available spaces creatively for physical activities.
•    Encouraging schools to set up simple, flexible spaces like playgrounds, small gym areas, or even classrooms that accommodate active learning.

2022 Going Green in Sport Toolkit
The Going Green in Sport toolkit combines physical activity with environmental sustainability. It focuses on teaching students about the importance of protecting the environment through sport. Schools are encouraged to implement green practices in their sporting events, such as reducing waste and using eco-friendly materials.

Key features include:
•    Incorporating green principles into sporting activities, like recycling during events.
•    Promoting environmental consciousness through school sport events.

2022 Healthy Lifestyle Toolkit
The 2022 Healthy Lifestyle Toolkit takes a holistic approach, emphasising four pillars of health: more activity, less sitting, better diet, and better sleep. This toolkit provides practical tips on how schools can help students stay active, reduce sedentary behaviour, and adopt healthy eating and sleeping habits.

Key features include:
•    Tips on integrating movement throughout the school day, like active learning breaks.
•    Guidance on promoting healthier meals in school cafeterias and teaching students about the importance of sleep for cognitive performance.

2023 Joy in Sport and Physical Activity Toolkit
This toolkit emphasises the importance of joy and fun in sports. It encourages schools to create inclusive and enjoyable physical activities that appeal to students of all skill levels. The goal is to foster a lifelong love for movement by making sports accessible and fun.

Key features include:
•    Ideas for fun, non-competitive sports and games.
•    Encouraging students to find activities they enjoy to ensure sustained physical engagement.

2024 Education Through Movement Toolkit
This year, the focus topic highlights the educational benefits of movement, emphasising how physical activity can enhance learning and cognitive development. It advocates for incorporating physical activity into learning environments to boost academic performance and mental alertness.

Key features include:
•    Strategies for combining movement with classroom learning.
•    Ideas for teachers to make lessons more interactive and physically engaging.

The ESSD toolkits offer schools practical, creative, and evidence-based strategies to improve students' physical and mental well-being. From healthy eating and environmental sustainability to mental health support and fun in physical education, these toolkits provide a comprehensive approach to fostering healthier, more active schools across Europe. Each year, the focus shifts slightly, but the core mission remains: to get schools and students moving towards a healthier future.

Get ready to move, engage, and promote a lifetime of health and fitness with ESSD!