BINK: Outdoor Play and Sports for Children with Chronic Illnesses

Move to the gym

There are sports interventions for these children, says the health scientist, but they are often provided by physiotherapists. “They are completely medical in nature. These children often end up in hospitals anyway. What we mainly want is for them to play outside and do sports. To get away from medicine and above all to have fun. In this way, we want the children to acquire skills, so that in the future they can play outside and better participate in gym classes at school, for example, and move on to a regular sports club.”

Participants are divided into groups of ten to twelve children, depending on age and condition. The 20 lessons cover everything from hut building and tree climbing to training camps, basketball and possibly even ice skating in the winter. During the last three weeks, sports clubs will be visited regularly to introduce the children to this. The lessons are given by sports coaches from Sport4Kidz, an Amsterdam-based organisation that organises all kinds of sports and games for children. In addition, there is guidance from a physiotherapist.