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Fit4Fun

15 easy minutes

The purpose of this activity is to instil healthy habits in children before and during school. The activity is carried out on the way to school, just before school, or during break-time.

Teaching the activity
The main aim is for the children to exercise for 15–20 minutes every day in the form of a walk, run, ride or other physical activity. The daily exercise can be organised in the following ways.

  • The children can meet 15 minutes before school, then walk or run around the school in order to earn a ticket.
  • The class can plan that everyone will cycle or walk to school for a period of time. Each healthy journey to school earns a ticket.
  • The activity can also take place in break-time in the form of joint exercises.


The competition can be carried out within a single class so that the children compete individually against their classmates. Alternatively, the classes in the school can compete against each other; in this case, account should be taken of differences in age and physical capability when planning the activities.

The prizes can relate to the theme of health and should obviously be matched to age and budget.

  • Individual prizes: eg a ball, a pedometer, a key ring, a T-shirt, a book etc
  • Class prizes: Trip to a science fair or sports event, a large-scale outdoor game etc
  1. Hold a class discussion on the importance of exercising. Suggest a daily competition that involves exercising for 15–20 minutes.
  2. Draw up a route around the school that the children can follow every morning. Tip: By talking to the children individually, you can also find out their healthiest way of getting to school.
  3. Every time the children complete the route, they earn a ticket, on which they write their name and class. The tickets are entered into a prize draw.
  4. A winner is drawn every week or month, and the more tickets that a child has in the draw, the greater his/her chances of winning.
  5. ‘Healthy’ prizes can be awarded, eg a ball, a pedometer etc.

Tip: If the whole school takes part, the prizes should obviously be matched to age and budget. The children could assemble in the school gymnasium for the winner to be drawn.

Tip: Alternatively, the prize could be awarded to the class that has earnt the most tickets combined. In this case, the prize could be a joint prize, eg a class outing.

Educational goals
This activity focuses on the importance of children exercising for 60 minutes a day. ‘15 Easy Minutes’ would be a good starting point for discussing exercise – or lack of exercise – in the class.

References