Issued by: Department of Health and Social Care

Families across the country are being encouraged to help children stay active over the summer holidays

• Families encouraged to keep children active over the summer holidays with Joe Wicks’ animated fitness series, Activate, backed by government

• Nine in ten (88%) of parents* worry their children will get too much sustained ‘inactive’ time during the summer, and less than a fifth (18%) think their children will achieve 60 minutes of physical activity every day during the summer holidays

• Activate provides free five-minute episodes, making it fun and easy for children to build movement into their day at home, on holiday, or on the go

• Drive follows updated UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, which set out activity levels for health

Families across the country are being encouraged to help children stay active over the summer holidays as the government continues to back the free, animated fitness series, Activate, created by Joe Wicks MBE.

This comes as new data shows nearly nine in ten parents* (88%) worry their children will have too much sustained sedentary time over the summer holidays, whilst less than a fifth (18%) think their children will achieve 60 minutes of daily physical activity every day of the week during the summer holidays.

Activate is a collection of short, five-minute exercise episodes available on BBC iPlayer, with daily episodes broadcast on CBeebies which are designed to make physical activity fun and accessible for children, encouraging them to incorporate movement into their day whether at home, on holiday or between summer activities.

The series has been created by Joe Wicks and StudioAKA (creators of Hey Duggee), and includes themed-episodes, featuring exercises such as squats, running on the spot, and star jumps. Each episode is set to popular songs from Gala to Olly Alexander, plus select tracks courtesy of Universal Music UK such as Bastille, the Spice Girls and Rizzle Kicks so the whole family can get involved.

Building on the success of last summer - when Activate was first launched with the backing of the Department of Health and Social Care, which funded ten episodes - the series inspired nearly 60,000 hours of active time among families. The series now has a collection of 18 different episodes, including themed specials like the World Cup, a Back to School challenge and Christmas special

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray said:

"We want every child to have the best possible start in life, and helping families build regular physical activity into their daily routines is an important part of that.

"Activate makes it easier for children to enjoy being active through fun, free and accessible content that families can use wherever they are this summer. Together with the refreshed Physical Activity Guidelines, parents can be confident they have the tools they need to help their children develop healthy habits that can benefit them for years to come."

The summer holidays can present a challenge for families looking to keep children active, as regular school routines and opportunities for exercise change. Nearly seven in 10 (68%) parents* said their children were more active during term time because schools provide opportunities such as PE, sports clubs or break time. By providing free, accessible content that can be completed in just five minutes, the series aims to remove some of the barriers that families can face when trying to stay active during the school holidays.

Joe Wicks MBE said:

"Many parents know that keeping children active during the summer holidays isn’t always easy. Once school finishes, routines change and there are lots of competing demands on family time, so it’s important that movement feels fun, simple and easy to fit into the day.

"Activate was created with exactly that in mind. The series doesn’t just get kids jumping around - it’s designed to break-up sedentary time with accessible movements built around strength and conditioning - like squats, burpees and press-ups - without kids even realising they are ‘exercising’.

"There really is a challenge for everyone, and we’ve made sure there is a fresh, exciting theme for each of the episodes so families can either take on a surfing challenge, climb a treetop, or test their superhero powers, to name a few.

"A year on, I’ve loved seeing all the videos from families taking on Activate challenges together - and not just kids, but dads and mums too. Parents and carers are such important role models in showing kids that exercise is good for you, so it’s been fantastic to see them take part.

"My mission has always been to help children develop a positive relationship with exercise, and I hope Activate gives families a fun, free tool to stay active together throughout the holidays and beyond. "

Parents and carers are encouraged to take part alongside their children, helping to make activity enjoyable and creating opportunities for families to have fun together.

The drive follows the publication of the updated UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, which use the latest evidence for adults, and reiterates the importance of regular physical activity for good physical and mental health.

Obesity is the UK’s most preventable chronic illnesses, costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year, with more than one in five children living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost one in three in areas with higher levels of poverty and deprivation.

Following a healthy diet and being physically active helps relieve pressure on the NHS, with Sport England estimating that being active prevents £15.9 billion worth of treatment a year. Despite that, inactivity levels remain high for adults and children, with around 12 million adults doing less than on average 30 mins of moderate activity a week and over 2 million children on average doing less than 30 mins of moderate activity a day, with huge inequalities across the country. The Activate programme represents a collaborative approach to tackling this growing health challenge.

Activate is backed by the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which has pledged to work with influencers and changemakers across society to shift the NHS from treating illness to preventing it.

The government is encouraging families to use the free resources throughout the summer holidays as a simple way to help children stay active and establish healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

Chief Executive of Sport England, Simon Hayes said:

"Positive experiences of movement in childhood can help spark a lifelong love of being active, whether it’s to have fun, build confidence, learn new skills or support their physical and mental wellbeing

"It’s hugely encouraging that more children than ever are meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines, but too many still miss out on the benefits of being active.

"That’s why free, accessible programmes like Activate are so important. By making movement fun and easy to build into everyday life, they can help children develop healthy habits, discover the joy of being active, and build the confidence to take part in play, sport and other everyday activities for years to come."

Background information

About Activate

Activate is a first-of-its-kind animated physical activity series created by fitness coach and the nation’s favourite PE teacher, Joe Wicks. The animated Activate series was created by StudioAKA (creators of Hey Duggee) and features five-minute episodes combining animation with upbeat music, courtesy of Universal Music UK, to encourage children to enjoy short, joyful bursts of movement that easily fit into their day. Activate was supported by the Department of Health and Social Care as part of an ongoing partnership, helping to embed it within communities and schools across the nation and funding ten episodes.

Research Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,010 parents of 4-11 year olds in England. The data was collected between 01.07.2026 - 06.07.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge and adheres to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.

Tags

More Like This

Joe Wicks and government join forces to get children moving

Nearly three in five parents expect children’s physical activity to drop this winter as stars back new campaign to keep kids moving

72% with mental health conditions say exercise helps them stay in work, but few feel able to meet guidelines

New Every Mind Matters campaign encourages public to "get physical" to help reduce anxiety this Mental Health Awareness Week

Over half a million children feel they don’t belong to their community, Sport England research reveals

£60m government investment to transform the school run for 2m children

Inequality of access to sport & exercise costs society nearly £20 billion a year

Social media is fuelling summer pressure for parents, research finds