Abstract
This article examines the potential of Kazakh national games to increase physical activity levels among students in rural schools. The study is relevant due to the growing prevalence of physical inactivity among schoolchildren, declining interest in organised physical education classes, and the need to incorporat ethnocultural elements into the educational process. The study aimed to provide a theoretical rationale for and experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating Kazakh national outdoor games into the physical education programme of rural schools. The study involved Year 5 and Year 6 students from a rural comprehensive school. Research methods included classroom observation, physical fitness testing, questionnaires, comparative analysis, and statistical analysis. The results of the pedagogical experiment demonstrated that the systematic inclusion of national outdoor games in physical education lessons increased students’ physical activity levels, improved physical fitness, and fostered sustained motivation for participation in physical education. The proportion of students with low levels of physical fitness decreased, while the proportion with average and high levels increased. These findings confirm the effectiveness of integrating Kazakh national games into the physical education system for rural schoolchildren. Such games represent an effective means of developing physical abilities, promoting health, and preserving ethnocultural traditions.