While Australia’s finest athletes were sweating it out in their quest for gold in Beijing, 314 Sydney infant school students were having their own Olympic-themed experience at Yeo Park Infants School.

Students from Bardwell Park, Kyeemagh, Hurstville Grove, Arncliffe West and Yeo Park infants schools emulated the efforts of their sporting heroes in a series of activities that included running, hurdles and sack races.

Yeo Park Infants School principal Stacey Furner said each school adopted one of the five colours of the Olympic rings.

“It was colours competing not students or schools,” Ms Furner said. “The focus of the day was on participation and enjoyment of physical activity.”

The mini-Olympics day marked the start of a collaboration between the five schools as part of the Livelifewell@school program.

The program, a joint project between the education department and NSW Health, aims to encourage quality teaching and learning in PDHPE and provide play equipment and games-based activities for students during school breaks.

Ms Furner said staff at each of the five schools were involved in planning the mini-Olympics. They were now implementing strategies to promote good nutrition and development of fundamental movement skills.

“Each school has devised an action plan … one initiative we’re doing in our school is changing recess to a crunch and sip break to promote [consumption of] fresh fruit and vegetables,” she said.

Ms Furner said the success of the Olympic day, which included an opening ceremony, is likely to be repeated through annual athletic carnivals.

“The children were just so involved and everyone participated, encouraging each other and cheering enthusiastically,” she said.