Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Family Fitness Challenge Chart: Free Printable Chart for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Family Fitness Challenge Chart is a free printable chart for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children set a weekly active minutes goal, record the minutes for each family member every day and add up the total. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Page 1 is a table to fill in. Family members are listed down one side and the days run across the top, Monday to Sunday. As the week goes on, children write each person's active minutes in the right box. There are also lines for writing. Children set a weekly active minutes goal, record each day and add up the total. It works for 2 to 5 players, so the whole family can join in.
- Family member
- Mon
- Tue
- Wed
- Thu
- Fri
- Sat
- Sun
Worked example: adding one person's week
Sam is active for 15, 20, 0, 25, 10, 30 and 40 minutes from Monday to Sunday. What is Sam's total for the week?
This is our own example with a different family member and different minutes. It shows two ways to add a row of numbers.
Method 1: keep a running total- Write the first day's minutes: 15.
- Add each day in turn: 15 + 20 = 35. Then 35 + 0 = 35. Then 35 + 25 = 60.
- Carry on: 60 + 10 = 70. Then 70 + 30 = 100. Then 100 + 40 = 140.
- Find the tens that add up neatly: 20 + 10 + 30 + 40 = 100.
- Pair the two numbers ending in 5: 15 + 25 = 40.
- Add the groups: 100 + 40 = 140. The 0 day adds nothing.
Getting the most from the chart
Choose the goal together
Talk about what a fair weekly goal might be for your family. Let your child suggest a number, then agree it before Monday.
Decide what counts
Agree as a family which kinds of movement you will count, such as walking to school, dancing in the kitchen or playing in the park.
Fill it in a little each day
Pick a regular moment, such as after tea. Ask each person how many minutes they were active and let your child write it in.
Add up at the end of the week
On Sunday, total each row, then the whole family. Look back at the goal together and talk about what you notice.
Why track active minutes?
Active minutes means time spent moving in a way that makes you breathe a little faster and feel warmer. It can be sport, but it can also be walking, cycling, skipping, swimming or playing tag. Counting minutes helps children see that being active is made up of many small moments across the day, not only a PE lesson.
Keeping a chart turns a vague idea into something children can see. They write a number each day, watch the row grow and compare it with their goal. Because the whole family joins in, being active becomes something you do together. It also gives children real, meaningful numbers to add.
Choose activities that suit everyone in the family, and take care on wet ground or in busy places. Start gently and stop if anyone feels unwell or gets hurt. Adults should supervise any outdoor activity and decide what is safe for their child.
Fitness facts for curious children
- Your heart is a muscle, and it beats faster when you run or jump.
- When you are active you usually breathe faster, because your body needs more oxygen.
- Muscles get stronger the more you use them.
- Drinking water helps your body when you are active.
- Stretching gently after exercise is a good way to cool down.
Skills and curriculum link
- Recording data
- Adding minutes
- Goal setting
- Reading a table
- Healthy habits
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | PE | Fitness | Year 4 |
What children will be able to do
- I can record how many active minutes I do each day.
- I can add up my minutes for the week.
- I can set a fitness goal.
Ways to help your child
- Let them leadAsk your child to read out each row and write the numbers. You support, but they hold the pencil.
- Keep numbers friendlyRound to the nearest 5 or 10 minutes. The chart is for noticing habits, not for exact timing.
- Count everyoneInclude grown ups and any brothers and sisters. A shared chart is more fun and gives more to add up.
- Praise effortNotice when someone tries to move a little more, not only who has the biggest total.
Key words
- Active minutesTime spent moving enough to breathe a bit faster.
- GoalSomething you aim to do, such as a number of minutes for the week.
- RecordWrite something down so you can look at it later.
- TotalThe answer when you add everything together.
- AverageA fair share. It is the amount each day would be if every day had the same.
- FitnessHow well your body can run, move and keep going without getting too tired.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Sit together on the first day. Talk about who is taking part and write their names in the table.
- Agree a weekly active minutes goal as a family and write it on the sheet.
- Fill in a little each day. Ask each person how many minutes they were active and write it in the right box.
- At the end of the week, add up the minutes and check with page 2. Talk about the goal and plan the next one.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use round numbers such as 10, 20 or 30 minutes and add in tens. Do one family member's row at a time. Say each number aloud as you add. Use a number line or counters if it helps, and take your time.
To stretch confident children
Work out the family average per day and compare it with the goal. Divide the weekly total by the number of days, then talk about whether the average is above or below what you aimed for.
Make it a game
Agree a family reward that is not food, such as choosing a film or a game. If the family reaches its weekly goal, the winner picks. Everyone is on the same team, so you cheer each other on.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child leaves a box empty on a day someone did nothing, then gets muddled adding.
Try thisWrite 0 in the box. It is a real number and it keeps the row complete.
Watch forA child adds the numbers in the wrong order and loses count.
Try thisAdd one day at a time, writing a running total beside each box. Cross off each number once it is added.
Watch forA child writes a total but does not compare it with the goal.
Try thisAsk, "Is your total more or less than your goal? By how much?" Use a number line to count the gap.
Talk about it
- Which activity did you enjoy most this week, and why?
- Is it harder to be active on some days than others? What gets in the way?
- What is a fair goal for our family, and how did we choose it?
- Which kinds of movement can we do indoors on a rainy day?
- How could we help each other reach our goal next week?
- What would you change about our plan for next week?
Take it off the page
Family walk
Take a walk together after school or at the weekend. Notice how your breathing changes as you walk faster, then add the minutes to the chart.
Invent a movement game
Make up a simple game for the garden or living room using jumping, hopping or balancing. Teach it to the family and play it together.
Cool down stretch
After being active, stretch slowly for a few minutes. Name the muscles you can feel working and hold each stretch gently.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child on the first day and let them lead. Fill the chart in a little each day, and join in with the activity yourself. Praise effort and keep the goal fair for everyone.
Teachers
Use it as a PE and maths link, a homework task over a week, or a table activity. Children can compare goals and discuss what helps them stay active. Page 2 has support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Use the chart as part of a wider plan with outdoor play, walks and sport. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or to start a new week of recording.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this sheet, children are usually learning to read simple tables, count in tens and add small numbers. In PE they try different activities and begin to notice how their bodies feel when they move.
After this sheet, children can compare weeks, work out averages and show their results in a bar chart. They can also set goals of their own, plan how to meet them and describe how being active affects them.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How many minutes did you do in total?
- Which day was your most active, and why?
- What is your goal for next week?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Family Fitness Challenge Chart for?
It is written for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9), in Key Stage 2. It also works for mixed age families, because every person can fill in their own row while an older or younger child helps with adding.
- What will children practise?
Children set a weekly active minutes goal, record minutes each day and add up the total. They practise reading a table, adding numbers and thinking about healthy habits.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use round numbers such as 10, 20 or 30 minutes and add in tens. Work on one row at a time and say each number aloud. A number line or counters can also help.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or for another week of recording.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper and a pencil. The activity it records, being active together, can happen indoors or outdoors.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour if they like, for example to mark their most active day.
More like this
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.