Active Advent calendar for children and families

Hey there, I’m Pedal. Are you as excited as I am that Christmas is on its way? Well, guess what? I’ve come up with a special way to count down to the big day – it’s called Active Advent!

In this fun challenge, we’ll do a different festive activity every day leading up to Christmas. It’s not just about having a great time but about helping you get more active. And guess what? We’re starting right now! Get ready for this Christmas adventure.

Ready to start your Active Advent? Click on the picture, and it will reveal your Christmas challenge for the day.

How to do all the activities

December: 24 star jumps

It’s 24 days until Christmas which means 24 star jumps! Want a fun challenge? Jump as high as you can in a star shape.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand with legs apart and arms down.
2. Jump up, arms wide and make a star!
3. Jump feet together, arms down and close the star.
4. Repeat! Open the star and close the star.

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December: 23 jolly hops on each leg

It’s 23 days until Christmas! Hop 23 times on one leg. Switch and hop 23 times on the other leg!

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December: 22 jingle bell bum kicks

It’s 22 days until Christmas! Here’s how you do these kicks:

1. Jog on the spot.
2. Kick your heels to touch your butt while you jog. Can you kick 22 times with each leg?

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December: Balloon volleyball

It’s 21 days until Christmas! Play balloon volleyball with friends or family. Can you keep the balloon in the air for 21 passes? Here’s how you do it:

1. Get a balloon.
2. Make two teams.
3. Stand on opposite sides of a room and hit the balloon back and forth over an imaginary line.
4. Don’t let the balloon touch the ground on your side.
5. Use only your hands to hit the balloon.
6. See who can keep the balloon in the air the longest. If it touches the ground on your side, the other team gets a point.
7. First to 21 points wins!

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December: Yule yoga downward facing dog

It’s 20 days until Christmas! Hold the downward facing dog yoga pose for 20 seconds.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Get on your hands and knees.
2. Lift your bottom up high to the sky, making a triangle shape with your body, arms and legs.
3. Press your heels down to the ground, but it’s OK if they don’t touch.
4. Hold the pose before coming back down to your hands and knees.

Today’s challenge: pedal your legs while you’re in the yoga pose, moving them 1 at a time, like you’re riding a bicycle.

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December: Run on the spot like a reindeer

It’s 19 days until Christmas! Run on the spot for 19 seconds.

Today’s challenge? Run on the spot as fast as you can!

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December: 18 holly high knees

It’s 18 days until Christmas! Do 18 high knees.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Jog on the spot.
2. Lift your knees up high, like you’re trying to touch your chest.
3. Keep jogging with high knees.

Today’s challenge? Hold your arms above your head while doing your high knees. Feel your tummy muscles working hard!

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December: 17 angel arm circles

It’s 17 days until Christmas! Let’s try 17 arm circles.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stretch your arms out to your sides, like aeroplane wings.
2. Spin your arms, making small circles in the air.

Today’s challenge: Hold a can or ball in each hand while circling your arms.

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December: 16 snowman skaters

It’s 16 days until Christmas! Today’s exercise is 16 skaters.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand with your legs apart.
2. Hop to the right as if you’re gliding on ice, landing on your right foot, and swinging your left leg behind you.
3. Now, hop to the left side, landing on your left foot, and swinging your right foot behind you.
4. Keep doing these moves in one spot, just like you’re skating on ice!

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December: 15 snowy sit-ups

It’s 15 days until Christmas! It’s 15 sit-ups today.

Here’s how you do them:

1. Sit comfortably on the floor.
2. Lie on your back with your arms crossed over your chest.
3. Take a deep breath and use your tummy muscles to lift your head, shoulders and upper back off the floor.
4. Try to touch your knees with your elbows.
5. Slowly lower back down.
6. Repeat.

Today’s challenge: when you sit up, twist to one side, then the other side.

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December: 14 bauble boxing punches

It’s 14 days until Christmas! Punch the air 14 times with each arm.

Here’s how you do them:

1. Stand with your legs apart.
2. Make strong fists with both hands and protect your face.
3. Punch the air with your left hand, then bring it back to protect your face.
4. Punch with your right hand, then bring it back to protect your face.
5. Keep taking turns with left and right punches!

Today’s challenge: Hold a can or ball in each hand while you punch.

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December: Christmas lights lunges

It’s 13 days until Christmas! Do 13 lunges on each leg.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand up straight with your legs apart.
2. Step your right foot forward.
3. As you step, bend both your knees. The front knee will be in front of you, and the back knee will be almost touching the ground.
4. Then, push off the front foot and step it back to where it started.
5. Repeat with your left foot. Take a big step forward, bend both knees, and step back.

Today’s challenge: hold a heavy book in each hand as you lunge.

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December: 12 mistletoe mountain climbers

It’s 12 days until Christmas! Do 12 mountain climbers.

Here’s how you do it:

• Stand with legs apart.
• Step your right foot forward.
• Bend both knees – front knee in front, back knee almost to the ground.
• Push off the front foot, step it back to standing position.
• Repeat with your left foot.

Today’s challenge? Climb the mountain slowly and hold each knee towards your chest for 3 seconds.

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December: 11 Christmas tree boxing kicks

It’s 11 days until Christmas! Kick the air in front of you 11 times with each leg.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand with your legs apart, hands up protecting your face like a boxer.
2. Lift your left leg, bend it and kick forward.
3. Bring your left leg back to standing.
4. Repeat with your right leg.

Today’s challenge: Hold a heavy book in each hand while kicking.

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December: 10 Santa squats

It’s 10 days until Christmas! The countdown is on! Let’s do 10 squats.

Here’s how you it:

1. Stand with your legs apart.
2. Slowly bend your knees, like you’re sitting down on an imaginary chair behind you.
3. Remember that your knees go out to the sides.
4. Once you touch the imaginary chair with your bottom, stand up.
5. Repeat.

Today’s challenge? Try jump squats instead – follow the instructions above but jump up instead of standing up.

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December: Wiggle, hop and creep

It’s 9 days until Christmas! Have fun today with our Wiggle, hop or creep game.

> How to play the game

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December: 8 festive frog hops

It’s 8 days until Christmas! Do 8 frog hops.

Here’s how you do them:

1. Crouch down like a frog.
2. Put your hands on the floor like a frog’s front legs.
3. Jump forward using your legs and arms.
4. Land, bend your knees and get ready to jump again.
5. Repeat.

Today’s challenge: when you hop, jump as high as you can!

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December: 7 cheery cat and cow yoga stretch

It’s 7 days until Christmas! Give this yoga pose a go: do 7 cat and 7 cow stretches.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Start on your hands and knees.
2. Cat pose: arch your back up and tuck your chin to your chest as you take a deep breath in.
3. Cow pose: lower your belly down, lift your head up, stretch your neck and breathe out.
4. Switch between cat and cow poses.

Today’s challenge: Hold each cat and cow stretch for 7 seconds before moving to the next one.

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December: 6 Christmas pudding push-ups

It’s 6 days until Christmas! Let’s do 6 push-ups today, whether you’re on your feet or knees – you choose!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Lie on your tummy.
2. Put your hands on the ground near your shoulders.
3. Squeeze your tummy and push up to make a straight plank with your body.
4. Hold for a few seconds.
5. Lower back down to the ground.
6. Repeat slowly, being careful with your back and arms.

Today’s challenge: after you’ve done 6 push-ups … do 6 more!

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December: 5 candy cane calf raises

It’s 5 days until Christmas! Do 5 calf raises, 5 times!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand with your legs apart.
2. Lift your heels off the ground and stand on your toes.
3. Hold for a few seconds.
4. Slowly bring your heels back down.
5. Repeat.

Today’s challenge: After you’ve done legs together calf raises, try doing 1 leg at a time. Stand on 1 leg, do 5 calf raises and repeat 5 times. Switch to the other leg, do 5 calf raises and repeat 5 times

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December: cranberry yoga tree

It’s 4 days until Christmas!

Hold the Christmas tree pose for 20 seconds, 4 times during the day. If you find it hard to balance, hold on to a chair.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Stand with your legs apart.
2. Balance on one foot.
3. Lift your other foot and place it on the side of your calf.
4. Raise both arms in the air.
5. Hold the pose.

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December: wise men walk or bike ride

It’s 3 days until Christmas! Today, go for a walk or bike ride with your friends or family in a local park. It’s a great way to stay active and have fun!

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December: polar bear crawls

It’s 2 days until Christmas! Today you’ll be doing bear crawls for 2 minutes.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Get on your hands and knees, and lift your hips up.
2. Take little steps forward with your hands and feet, like you’re walking like a bear.

Today’s challenge: see if you can bear crawl for another 2 minutes!

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December: snowflake skipping

It’s Christmas Eve! Tomorrow is Christmas Day! Let’s skip into the holiday spirit.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Jump with a rope (or pretend with an imaginary one) for 1 minute.

Today’s challenge: skip on 1 leg for 30 seconds, then switch to the other for 30 seconds.

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December: Christmas Day dance

Happy Christmas! Time to celebrate! Put on your favourite Christmas songs and dance your heart out!

Well done for taking part in Eat Move Learn‘s Active Advent Challenge!

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