National School Sports Week - Let's get moving!
Updated for 2026
National School Sports Week 2026 takes place from 6th - 12th July and is organised by the Youth Sport Trust. The annual campaign celebrates the positive impact of PE, physical activity and school sport on children’s health, wellbeing and development.
This year’s theme, “This summer of sport, every child deserves to feel part of the action,” focuses on inclusion and ensuring all young people have opportunities to enjoy being active, feel involved and experience the benefits of movement and teamwork.
Schools across the UK are encouraged to take part by creating fun and inclusive activities that help pupils move more, try new challenges and enjoy being active together. Whether it’s a whole-school sports day, lunchtime activities or simple classroom movement breaks, every activity can help children build confidence and create positive experiences through sport.
Why National School Sports Week Matters
The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that children participate in at least 60 minutes of vigorous activity each day, or roughly 20 minutes for children with a disability or SEND. National School Sports Week is a great way to highlight the importance of this target through the week and inspire children to get involved. It allows schools and parents to try out new ideas to help increase pupils’ participation in physical activity and sport.
At The PE Hub, we know how valuable PE and school sport can be in supporting both physical and mental wellbeing. To help schools celebrate National School Sports Week 2026, we’ve created a free downloadable participation certificate that teachers can use to recognise pupils’ efforts and achievements throughout the week. It’s a simple way to celebrate participation, encourage confidence and help every child feel part of the action.
National School Sports Week Activity Ideas for Schools
YST have some great tools and resources, but here are a few more ideas to try:
- Daily Active Challenges – Set fun movement goals each day, e.g. move/walk/play for 25 minutes to celebrate 2026!
- House/Team Competitions – Organise mini-Olympics, relay races or skill-based challenges with mixed abilities.
- Classroom activities – Increase your activity with classroom movement breaks.
- Pupil-led Warm Ups – Let older pupils or playground leaders help with activities or games for younger year groups.
- Family Involvement – Invite parents for a morning mile or help keep score on an activity to help build the home-to-school connection.
- Cross-Curricular Links – Tie in PE with numeracy (score-keeping), Literacy (sports journalism), or art (design team logos or flags), science (recovery heart rate).
Useful Resources and Links
To help you get the most out of National School Sports Week 2025, here are some go-to resources for both schools and families:
- Youth Sport Trust – National School Sports Week 2026 - Register your school, access free toolkits, and get involved in this year’s theme with ready-made planning support.
- The PE Hub – Family Zone - A treasure trove of free, family-friendly activity ideas to keep kids moving at home during National Sports Week 2026 and beyond.
- YST School Support Resources - Search for games, targeted interventions and open access programmes
Summer of Sports
To continue the excitement beyond National School Sports Week, this summer also gives children the opportunity to follow some of the biggest sporting events in the world. From the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the FIFA World Cup to Wimbledon and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, schools can use these events to inspire pupils, introduce new sports and encourage conversations around teamwork, resilience and healthy competition.