Growing Together
Week 2: What gives us joy?
Quick jumps:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | |
---|---|---|---|
Matthew 28:1-8 | Finding joy in change | Finding joy when afraid | Finding joy in Jesus |
Warm-up | Move to music | Run and squat | Pick-up relay |
Move | Squats | Squats | Partner squats |
Challenge | Plank and squat | Obstacle course | Follow the leader |
Explore | Ear, eye, heart drawing | Retell story and finish a sentence | Act out story and discuss |
Play | The great paper competition | Sock basketball | Quick topic words |
Watch the family.fit five steps
Getting started
Help your family to be active this week with three fun sessions:
- Involve everyone – anyone can lead!
- Adapt for your family
- Encourage each other
- Challenge yourselves
- Don’t exercise if it causes pain
Share family.fit with others:
- Post a photo or video on social media and tag with #familyfit
- Do family.fit with another family
Day 1: Warm-up
Move to music
Put on some favorite music. Repeat these moves until the music ends:
- 10 running on spot
- 5 squats
- 10 running on spot
- 5 squats with hand clap above head
Rest and chat briefly.
What have been some life changing events or moments for your family?
Go deeper: What is the difference between joy and happiness?
Day 1: Move
Squats
Stand in front of a low chair. Bend your knees so you sit lightly on the chair. Stand up again.
Do 10 repetitions. Repeat.
Go harder: Do the squat without a chair or add extra rounds.
Day 1: Challenge
Plank and squat challenge
Work with a partner.
While one person is in a plank position the other does squats. Change places after 10 squats.
Do four rounds.
Go harder: Increase the number of rounds.
Day 1: Explore
What gives us joy?
Read Matthew 28:1-8 from the Bible.
Draw an ear, an eye, and a heart on separate pieces of paper. List what the women in the story heard, saw, and felt on the morning Jesus came back to life.
Now remember together a joyful event in your family. Add words to describe this event on the papers.
Throw an object to each other, and as you catch it say, “Thank you God that ... (for example, football) gives me joy”.
Day 1: Play
The great paper competition
Give everyone a piece of paper. Write what takes away your joy on it. Use the paper for three different competitions.
- Make a paper airplane and fly it the furthest. Give points to each person.
- Screw up the paper plane into a ball. Each person throws all the balls into a bucket five meters away. See who can get the highest total.
- Try to juggle the most paper balls. Start with one, then two and so on. Who has the highest overall score?
Health Tip
Drink more water.
Day 2: Warm-up
Run and squat tag
Play ‘tag’ where one person chases the others to tag them. Whoever is tagged does five squats and then becomes the chaser. Continue for three minutes.
Rest and talk together.
What makes you afraid?
Go deeper: What helps when you are afraid?
Day 2: Move
Squats
Do 10 squats and tap out to the next person. Continue until you have completed 100 as a family.
You can do five squats then tap out to next person.
Go harder: Set a higher total as a family—150 or 200.
Day 2: Challenge
Obstacle course
Set up an obstacle course in your home or yard. Use what you have – chairs, tables, trees, rocks, paths and walls. Time each person as they complete the course.
Who can get through the course the quickest?
Share photos or videos of your obstacle course on social media and tag with #familyfit.
Day 2: Explore
Finding joy when afraid
Read Matthew 28:1-8 again.
Reread the story. Why were the guards afraid? Why did the angel tell the women to ‘not be afraid’? How could the women be ‘afraid yet filled with joy’? Can we be the same?
Finish this sentence in two or three different ways and make it your prayer: “Thank you God that when we are afraid, we know that ...” (Remember, God’s presence is the foundation of true joy.)
Day 2: Play
Sock basketball
Make a ball from a rolled-up sock. One person uses their arms as the goal.
Choose three places to shoot from. Everyone gets three shots at each place. Count the number of successful shots to find the winner.
Health Tip
Drink more water. Drink small sips of water when you work out.
Day 3: Warm-up
Pick-up relay
Put 20 objects on the floor at one end of the room. Start at the other end and compete in pairs to pick up the most objects (one at a time) in 30 seconds. Give everyone a turn. See who can collect the most.
Rest and chat briefly.
When you hear good news who is the first person you want to tell?
Go deeper: Who first told you the good news about Jesus?
Day 3: Move
Partner squats
Stand facing a partner. Do squats at the same time. Give each other a ‘High 10’ hand clap at the bottom of the squat.
Do 10 repetitions.
Every squat, take turns telling one thing that brings you joy.
Rest for one minute and swap partners.
Do three rounds.
Go harder: Increase the number of rounds.
Day 3: Challenge
Follow the leader
Put on your favourite music. Run around in a circle.
One person is the leader and uses hand claps to communicate instructions:
- One clap - everyone puts a hand on the floor
- Two claps - two squats
- Three claps - everyone sits on the floor
Change leaders after one minute.
Day 3: Explore
Finding joy in Jesus
Read Matthew 28:1-8 again.
Act out the story and include the exact words of the angel.
At Jesus’ birth, the angels said it was ‘good news that will bring great joy’. Why does Jesus bring joy to many?
Place a belt or rope on the floor in the shape of a sad mouth. Think of someone who needs joy, and say “(insert name) needs some joy” as you jump back and forth across the belt five times. This is your prayer. Finish on the side that looks like a smile.
Day 3: Play
Quick topic words
Sit in a circle. Select a topic such as cities, countries, names, or objects. Someone goes through the alphabet in their head until someone else says stop.
Take turns to quickly say a word on the topic which starts with the chosen letter. Continue until someone cannot think of a word, then start a new round. Rotate the topics every round.
Make it competitive if you like.
Health Tip
Drink more water. Drink water before you eat rather than after; then you will eat less food.
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The family.fit team