Chester's Challenge is a fun, interactive three-week health promotion and education programme aimed at Primary 5 and 7 children in extended schools. These are in areas of greater need, where pupils have a higher risk of becoming unwell in the future.
Featuring our Chester monkey character, Chester’s Challenge is adapted to tie in with the curriculum, with workshops focusing on healthy eating, keeping active, screen time and sleep. We’re still providing this important service to schools and are continuing to liaise with them to create even more bespoke versions of the challenge.
Watch our Chester's Challenge video to see the programme in action!
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It comprises of:
Three 60-minute fun and interactive workshops delivered over three weeks for Primary 5 classes:
Week 1 – Ten Gems of Knowledge
- Healthy eating
- Eatwell Guide quiz
- Importance of breakfast
- Packing a healthy lunch box
Week 2 – The Jungle
- Physical activity guidelines – aerobic/strength
- Hydration
- Movement flow exercises
Week 3 – Evening Time at the Tree House
- Screen time
- Fast food though food labels
- Relaxation & sleep
Plus, NICHS offers a P7 standalone one-hour talk ‘Dangers of smoking/e-cigarettes’
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“The Chester Workshops links well to the P5 School Curriculum. The first topic studied in P5 each year is Wonderful Me which looks at the body and covers healthy eating, need for exercise, organs and their function etc, so it ties in really well with this topic. Through the Wonderful Me topic we design a healthy dinner menu, measure our heart rate before and after different exercises in PE, and we look at the damage sugary drinks has on our teeth. These topics are all covered in the Chester Workshops, and are a good way to reinforce learning for the children”.
Taughmonagh Primary School, P5 Class Teacher
“Chester’s health and wellbeing programme is a pupil friendly interactive course which is invaluable in helping schools promote the importance of making healthy choices early in life and improving their general health and fitness through manageable goals each week relating to exercise and eating habits. It also raises the awareness of some of the health consequences which can result later in life and equips pupils with the knowledge of what to do in certain situations”.
Taughmonagh Primary School, P5 Class Teacher
“Having worked with the Chester Challenge team for a number of years now, they work to enthuse the children about healthy living through informative and fun activities”.
P5 Teacher, Holy Cross Girls Primary School
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We asked the pupils what they thought of Chester’s Challenge:
- “Not just sitting and learning but doing and learning”
- “We could all join in.”
- “We shouldn’t eat any more than one piece/bar of chocolate a day.”
- “We should get 60 minutes per day of exercise.”
- “Chester teaches us smoking is really bad for you.”
