In 2014, The University of Western Australia’s (UWA) research team identified a worrying decline in the ability of WA children to run, jump, hop and skip – fundamental movement skills that are the building blocks to a healthy, active life.
Evidence shows that children who lack these vital skills are far less likely to be physically active throughout adulthood. To address this important public health challenge, UWA developed KIDDO – an all-in-one online resource for schools to help children learn essential movement skills and develop a lifelong love of physical activity.
Healthway was an early supporter of the program, funding KIDDO since 2017 to make a lasting difference in the lives of Western Australian children.
Fast forward to 2025, and more than 120,000 children aged 0-8 from 1921 primary schools and 738 early learning services have benefitted from KIDDO. Based on its overwhelming success – and further funding from Healthway – the KIDDO team has expanded the program to Years 3 – 6 and will roll it out to schools statewide to increase health equity across WA.
Physical education (PE) teacher Jack Prendergast, who will help trial KIDDO for Years 3 – 6, said the program is a complete game changer.
“Having seen several of this style of online resources like this when I was teaching in the UK, KIDDO blows every single one of them out of the water. As a new PE teacher, it’s put me on the right track because it’s so comprehensive – with clear direction on what skills to teach first and exactly how to do it. I’m seeing how everything I’m teaching them is not only building confidence but translating into their regular sport games,” Mr Prendergast said.
The Years 3 – 6 expansion was designed in consultation with educators through focus groups, surveys, interviews and lesson observations, and includes:
- 27 new sport-specific skills
- 140 new activities for both classroom and PE teachers
- Morning fitness and brain break activities
- Weekly lessons, units of work, and a customisable scope and sequence for Years 3 – 6
- Ready-to-go group sport sessions across a range of traditional and non-traditional sports
- A newly validated assessment tool featuring automated reports and insights
- Detailed videos showing how to run the assessment
- New professional development modules.
The assessment tools help teachers track individual student progress and design intervention programs as needed. The Parent Hub helps educators to connect with families, supporting each child’s physical literacy development and offering hundreds of activities to do at home.
For KIDDO Program Director Amanda Derbyshire, the research and feedback is unequivocal.
“We know that KIDDO boosts teachers’ confidence and willingness to deliver high-quality PE and physical activity opportunities across the school day. This develops students’ physical literacy – their skills and confidence to be active. And now, thanks to Healthway support, we can extend to the upper years and provide access to schools across WA, including those in regional, remote and disadvantaged areas,” Ms Derbyshire said.
At the end of the day, it’s the fun KIDDO generates that gives Mr Prendergast the confidence that he’s on the right track.
“It’s the smiles on their faces and the fact they are constantly asking to play KIDDO games that shows they want to get out there and be active. That’s the ultimate sign of success for me,” he said.
