Children “more likely to own a phone than be able to throw a ball”

Young children are more likely to own a smartphone than be able to throw a ball, according to a new report.

New research from a think tank, the Centre for Social Justice, reveals that while a range of studies show fewer than half of English 10-year-olds meet a basic level of competence in throwing a ball, over 70 per cent now own a smartphone.

The report, Inactive Nation, warns that England is raising a generation of children where only a small minority of children are mastering the basic movement skills they need to participate confidently in sport and physical activity. Around half of the pupils in every single primary school classroom today fail to meet basic activity levels for a healthy life, the analysis revealed.

The displacement of outdoor play with screen-based activity is leading to the rise of a generation of so-called “iPad kids”, who are missing out on vital physical development and contributing to ballooning obesity rates.

By Year 6, pupils are spending 3 hours a day online – the equivalent of over a month each year – according to CSJ analysis of Ofcom data.

The report highlights the “resounding” evidence of the benefits of an active childhood. Yet, over half of primary school age pupils are insufficiently active – averaging less than 60 minutes of at least moderate physical activity a day.