The proportion of children attending public educational institutions has increased, resulting in a notable shift in their physical activity patterns in these settings. One prominent educational institution is the open all-day primary school. The organisation of physical activity and sports in these educational establishments has only sporadically been studied. There is a paucity of research examining this topic from the perspective of all stakeholders and a dearth of knowledge regarding the movement-related qualifications of staff members.

These issues are addressed in this sub-study of the “Move for Health” project. The investigation was conducted through qualitative interviews at eight all-day primary schools. 52 interviews were conducted with 140 participants: eight focus group interviews with staff members working in all-day settings and 44 interviews with third- and fourth-grade children.

The results show that movement and sports occur in several different scenarios and are considered essential by the stakeholders interviewed. In general, they all see the relevance of movement and sports but they name specific needs and wishes regarding spaces and materials as well as knowledge and skills (e.g., in the methodological and didactic area). Children express a wide range of demands and ideas for design in the pedagogical field of tension between present fulfilment and future prospects. The staff often lack methodological and didactic skills or safety knowledge to organise the movement effectively.