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Description
Excessive screen time is linked to a lack of exercise and can cause mental health problems. Preventing sedentary behaviour and promoting physical activity in children is one of the WHO''s objectives. In the Czech Republic (CR) in 2016, almost 78% of children did not get enough physical activity. Digital devices overuse and sedentary behaviour are associated with lower wellbeing, reduced self-esteem and school performance, and occurrence of anxiety, depression, or addiction. The main aim of the project is to promote children''s mental health through sedentary behaviour prevention and active lifestyle promotion. We also aim to raise awareness of the impact of excessive screen time on mental health. We want children to build a positive attitude towards exercise, strengthen mental resilience and develop effective coping strategies to deal with stress and emotional strain. The project will be held in kindergartens in the CR. The main target group will be children aged 2 to 6 years. Parents and teachers will also be supported. Key activity (KA) 1 will be the implementation of workshops for children supporting psychomotor development and psychological resilience. Workshops will take place daily, they will be playful with elements of imagination and mindfulness. KA 2 will be training and professional supervision for teachers in the kindergarten. The output will be a methodology that the teachers can use after the end of the project. KA3 involves seminars for parents improving knowledge and skills in the prevention of mental illnesses related to sedentary behaviour and digital technologies overuse. The project partner will be the Department of Psychology at the University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. The partner will act as an expert consultant throughout the project. We foresee cooperation in the development of methodology for teachers and educational materials for parents. It will also help to create content for workshops and to implement evaluation tools.