PUPILS from schools across the county have taken part in a day of entertainment and activities.

The Hampshire School Games Festival, held on Thursday, June 22, saw more than 1,300 children aged between 8 and 11 take over Winchester Sports and Leisure Park.

The festival kicked off with a dance warm-up followed up by an Olympic-style parade lap with more than 40 activities for the children to choose from throughout the duration of the afternoon. These ranged from the more traditional hockey and football to African drumming, Tai Chi and Chinese line dancing.

Basingstoke Gazette: The children had the option to try out Chinese line dancingThe children had the option to try out Chinese line dancing (Image: Energise Me)The games are organised annually by Energise Me in collaboration with Hampshire School Games organisers, with the aim to inspire young people to remain physically active for the rest of their lives.

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It is advised that children between the ages of 5 and 18 get an hour of exercise a day. However, data from Active Lives shows that 52 per cent of young people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are exercising less than an hour a day.

To solve this, the School Games focuses on making the event as fun as possible for children, with the idea of reframing activities for young people.

Basingstoke Gazette: Tchoukball was one of the activities on offerTchoukball was one of the activities on offer (Image: Energise Me)Sharon Robertson, Head of Children and Young People at Energise Me, believes that the school games have a lasting legacy. She said: “Getting to the top of a climbing wall can give a confidence boost that’s far reaching. It extends beyond the day and back into the classroom, with increased self-belief in all areas of their school life.”

Tony Portelli, from the Hampshire Cricket Board, said that he was overjoyed by one of the children’s involvement in the cricket event, even though the student did not previously enjoy the sport. He said: “While I was doing the bowling, this young lady didn’t want to do any of the cricket. When we started doing the bowling, she did the right action – which was absolutely amazing – and then one big smile grew on her face.”