'Micro sports areas' boost students' fitness, fun

When the class bell rings at Jinan No 9 Middle School in Jinan, Shandong province, students now flock to newly created sports zones near the teaching buildings to enjoy lively games during breaks.

These areas were once scattered, little-used corners of the campus, but this semester they have been transformed into outdoor sports spaces with table tennis tables and removable badminton nets. Though modest in size, they have become key places for students to stay active.

"In the past, limited sports facilities discouraged students from exercising," said Song Zhijiu, a physical education teacher at the school.

By making better use of the campus' corner spaces, the school has created easily accessible areas that have boosted student participation in a variety of activities, he said.

These changes have also helped foster a vibrant fitness culture on campus. Beyond playing, students now take on roles such as referees, scorekeepers and cheerleaders, organizing matches on their own initiative.

"By engaging in more physical activities, students have become more motivated, and their learning efficiency has also improved accordingly," said principal Du Haifeng.

Similar efforts are underway at other schools, where previously overlooked spaces are being turned into areas for physical activities.

Zhijinshi Street Primary School has explored the use of vertical spaces by hanging bells above corridors for jumping activities, marking height scales on basketball stands, and installing climbing frames and climbing walls, with teachers providing guidance during breaks.

"Physical activities on campus should not be confined to specific times or areas. We aim to create more opportunities for children, helping them build stronger bodies through exercise and games," noted Zhang Shuo, a PE teacher at the school.

Statistics show that participation in physical activities at Zhijinshi Street Primary School has risen by about 30 percent compared with last year, while the overall myopia rate has dropped by 5 percent.

Across China, many schools are turning underused spaces such as rooftops, corridors and stairwells into easily accessible "micro playgrounds" and "micro sports areas," enabling students to be more active during breaks.

At Jiyang Experimental No 2 Primary School, an idle plot outside the campus has been converted into a multifunctional fitness area. Students use the facility during off-peak hours, while local residents can access it at other times, making more efficient use of existing idle space.

In 2024, the average score of Jinan students in the provincial physical fitness assessment reached 81.36, while the obesity rate dropped by 8 percent and the myopia rate recorded a fourth consecutive annual decline.

"As more underutilized spaces have been turned into micro sports areas, including vertical spaces for physical activities, on campus across Jinan's schools, spaces for physical activities have been significantly expanded," said Song Yu, deputy head of the Jinan Municipal Education Bureau.