Growing Wiser
Live with purpose
Quick jumps:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | |
---|---|---|---|
Matthew 5:13-16 | Know your purpose | Be known for doing good | Live for God’s glory |
Warm-up | Junkyard dog | Move your body | Bear and crab walk |
Move | Partner lunges | Slow deep lunges | Weighted lunges |
Challenge | Walk like a light | Salt and light | Obstacle course |
Explore | Read the verses, discuss and taste salt | Read verses, discuss and find the darkest part of the house | Read verses, discuss and draw a lighthouse |
Play | Jump in, jump out | Sock basketball | Shine Jesus shine |
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 or @familyfitnessfaithfun
- Do family.fit with another family
Day 1: Warm-up
Junkyard dog
One person sits on the floor with legs out to the front and arms out to the side. The others jump over the arm, the legs and the second arm. Everybody jumps two rounds and changes places, so everybody gets to jump.
Rest and talk together.
Name three things you use salt for, or find salt in.
Go deeper: What gives you the most satisfaction, personally and as a family?
Day 1: Move
Partner lunges
Stand straight with hands on hips. Step forward with one leg and lower your hips until your front knee is bent at 90 degrees. Alternate legs.
Practice lunges in pairs facing each other. Start slowly and carefully. Do four rounds of 10 repetitions. Rest between each round.
Go easier: Do two rounds.
Go harder: Increase repetitions to 20 each round.
Day 1: Challenge
Walk like a light
Split into pairs.
One pair walks to a 10 meter mark and back doing lunges. Keep a straight back (like a light) and hold a weight overhead if you can.
For the other pairs, one person lays on their stomach while the other person jumps over and lays on the ground next to them. The first person then stands and jumps over the second. Take turns to move five meters and back. Do four rounds.
Go harder: Increase to five rounds.
Day 1: Explore
Know your purpose
Read Matthew 5:13-16 from the Bible.
These verses come at the start of the most famous ‘sermon’ Jesus gave for followers in His upside-down Kingdom.
Discuss:
Jesus used familiar things to help us think about what it means to follow Him. He uses salt here.
Find some salt and try to get a single grain each and taste it.
Can you taste the saltiness in that one tiny grain? What things taste better with salt? What do you think being ‘salt’ means for us today?
Chat to God: Find a family photo or a photo of those you love. Taste another grain of salt and as the flavor stirs your senses, pray a prayer of blessing over each person.
Day 1: Play
Jump in, jump out
Stand in a circle holding hands with a leader in the middle who gives instructions.
First round – the leader says ‘jump in’ and everyone shouts the action and jumps in. Repeat with other instructions like, ‘jump out’, ‘jump right’ and ‘jump left’.
Second round – everyone says and does the opposite to what the leader says (for example jump out when the leader says ‘jump in’).
Third round – everyone does the action the leader says but shouts out the opposite.
Tip for parents
Plan for success.
Day 2: Warm-up
Move your body
One person is leader for each round. Start by jogging around. The leader says a name and the family must move like this. Mix them up.
Mr. Slow – move slowly
Mr. Rush – move fast
Mr. Jelly – shake your whole body
Mr. Muddle – walk backwards
Mr. Bounce – hop around
Mr. Small – crouch and keep moving
Mr. Strong – move flexing your muscles
Mr. Tall – stretch up and move
Mr. Tickle – wave your arms around
Mr. Happy – move and smile
Rest and talk together.
On each finger, count ways that others have been good to you personally or as a family.
Go deeper: How do you think others would describe you as a family?
Day 2: Move
Slow deep lunges
Practice the slow lunge. Today our focus is on tempo.
Step forward with one leg and count to five as you slowly lower your hips until your back knee touches the ground. Stand up quickly. Repeat for the other leg. Be a turtle, not a rabbit!
Repeat five times per leg.
Go easier: Only lower to what you are comfortable with.
Go harder: Increase repetitions to eight each leg.
Day 2: Challenge
Salt and light
The leader stands at one end of the room or yard facing away from the others. Everyone else stands at the other end with hands above their heads.
Walk slowly with high knees, up on toes so it is hard to balance, tensing the whole body. When the leader shouts ‘Salt and Light’ and turns around, everyone must freeze. If the leader sees anyone moving that person must do three push-ups.
Repeat the game. Swap leaders.
Go harder: Increase to five push-ups.
Day 2: Explore
Be known for doing good
Read Matthew 5:13-16.
Collect as many lights as you can. Then find the darkest place and turn on each light.
Jesus was speaking to a crowd of ordinary people. Yet He said to them, “You are the light of the world”. That’s how God intends to get His work done on earth today: through us – through you!
In what ways can you let your light shine?
Chat to God: In the quiet, ask God to help you see how you can let your light shine. Write down these ideas and share them together. Turn off all the lights except one. Thank God that even a little light makes a big difference.
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.
Tip for parents
Plan for success. Make a family calendar for each week where everyone’s plans are scheduled. Use pictures and symbols to help younger children.
Day 3: Warm-up
Bear and crab walk
Bear walk across the room and crab walk back. Do five laps.
Bear walk: Walk face down with feet and hands on the floor.
Crab walk: Walk face up with feet and hands on the floor.
Repeat for 10 meters. Do three rounds.
Rest and talk together.
Can you think of any ‘dark’ places that need Jesus’ light?
Go deeper: Who do you know who shines the light of Jesus?
Day 3: Move
Weighted lunges
Add weight to the lunge. Wear a backpack with a book in it or hold water bottles in your hands. Think creatively to find weights the right size for each person. Remember to keep the proper technique.
Complete two sets of 10 repetitions. Rest 30 seconds between sets.
Go easier: Only lower to what you are comfortable with and complete only eight repetitions each round.
Go harder: Increase repetitions to 16 per leg.
Day 3: Challenge
Obstacle course
Set up an obstacle course. Use the space you have inside or outside (for example, run to the tree or chair, leap over the path or rug, and so on). Be creative! Take turns to get through the obstacle course as quickly as possible. Time each person.
Day 3: Explore
Live for God’s glory
Read Matthew 5:13-16.
The ultimate purpose Jesus suggests in these verses is that our lives will somehow visibly point to God and give Him glory! Even the thought of that is remarkable!
Imagine you are alone with Jesus. Where or to whom do you think He might ask you to let your light shine?
Chat to God: Draw or print a lighthouse and draw or put photos of each family member on it. Remember those dark places that need Jesus’ light. Ask God to help each of you to let your light shine this week in a way that might cause others to give God glory.
Day 3: Play
Shine Jesus shine
Is there a good deed you can do as a family to shine Jesus’ love to another family or person nearby? Make a list of what you could do as a family. Decide on one or more of them and plan to do them together as a family in the next week.
After the activity, reflect as a family.
Did you enjoy the activity? How did you feel afterwards? How did the person you helped feel? Is this something you could continue to do as a family?
Tip for parents
A structured day helps everyone feel secure and makes it easier to manage. Make a timetable with work, schoolwork, games, free time, exercise, and handwashing. Having a structure to your day can help you all to stay positive.
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