New exercise plan for kids

CHILDREN should be encouraged to kick balls inside the house under national sporting guidelines to be released by the Abbott Government today.

Concerned that too many kids are fat and so unco- ordinated they can’t catch or kick a ball, the Government has launched the biggest shake- up to school sport in a decade.

The release of the guidelines, designed by the Australian Institute of Sport, coincides with today’s launch of the Government’s $ 100 million nationwide Sporting Schools program, which offers free sport before, during and after school.

Minister for Health and Sport Sussan Ley ( pictured) said the AIS online guide offered 10 tips to help parents introduce sport to their children and keep them engaged.

It urges parents to promote “deliberate play’’ at home, including using soccer balls or soft cricket balls in corridors, verandas or against brick walls.