The first 60 schools will be advised this week that they will be in the first round of free Year 7 school camps starting in 2027, which is expected to support more than 4,000 Year 7 students initially.

When fully implemented, the program will benefit around 12,000 Year 7 students across 137 public schools.

The free camps will give students opportunities to build friendships, develop independence and enjoy new experiences outside the classroom, complementing other initiatives designed to encourage healthier habits and positive social connections.

The State Government’s $76 million Kids Off Screens suite of initiatives also includes:

• Free before and after school activities for public primary students from 2027
• More sports vouchers – expanding to 16 to 18-year-olds from 2027
• Rolling out the Wait Mate program to help parents delay the introduction of smartphones for kids
• More free come-and-try sports sessions

These build on our nation-leading phone ban in schools and our world-leading ban on social media for children under 16.

Nearly 3,000 children have taken part in the free Growing for Gold sports program these holidays, compared to 2,227 last year – a 31 per cent increase – under the Government’s expansion of the program to get more kids off screens and active.

The Growing for Gold program allows children to sign up for a range of free school holiday come-and-try sessions with local sporting and recreation clubs, including athletics, soccer, netball, football, cricket, lawn bowls, golf, karate, taekwondo, pickleball, volleyball, calisthenics and lacrosse.

About 170 Growing for Gold sessions have been held these school holidays, with 2,931 young people signing up to try their hand at a range of sports and activities.

Research shows that regular physical activity supports children’s physical health, mental wellbeing, social development and learning outcomes.

According to the SA Population Health Survey conducted by Preventive Health SA, in 2025 more than three-quarters (76%) of South Australian children aged 5 to 17 did not achieve the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. At the same time, 38.5% of children exceeded recommended screen time limits on weekdays and 69.8% on weekends.

A new advertising campaign begins today across television, radio, social media, online, print and outdoor signage to provide more details of the State Government’s Kids Off Screens initiatives available to families to improve physical and mental wellbeing of young people.

More details are available at kidsoffscreens.sa.gov.au