Counting Every Step!
You have probably heard that people should walk 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. But guess what â that number was never based on science! It actually came from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer called the "Manpo-kei" (which means "10,000-steps meter"). And for kids, step counts get even wilder: research shows that children naturally take between 10,000 and 16,000 steps a day just by running around, climbing stuff, and playing tag! Instead of counting steps, health experts say kids should aim for about 60 minutes of active play every day. So keep bouncing! Learn more!
Wee Ones
You take 2 big steps forward, then 2 more big steps forward. How many steps did you take in all?
Little Kids
A fitness tracker says you took 12,000 steps today. Your little sister took 10,000 steps. How many more steps did you take than your sister?
Big Kids
Kids take between 10,000 and 16,000 steps per day. What is the difference between the high end and the low end of that range, and what number is exactly halfway between them?
The Sky's the Limit
Health experts recommend that kids get 60 minutes of active play per day. If a child averages about 110 steps per minute while actively playing, estimate the total steps from those 60 minutes. Then figure out what percentage of a 14,000-step day those "active play" steps account for.