FAMILIES in North Yorkshire are being invited to sign up for a fun summer health challenge.

The county council is backing the Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Ups programme run in collaboration with Disney and Sport England, which aims to help children get their recommended amount of daily physical activity in bite-sized chunks. It comes after a health survey revealed just 22 per cent of boys and 29 per cent of girls in the region achieve the national recommended level of activity.

The challenge is aimed at families with children aged five to 11 and features ten minute activities with favourite Disney shows and characters as inspiration.

It features characters from Disney Pixar’s latest animation Cars 3, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Moana, Frozen Fever and Zootropolis.

The activities are ones that all children can do in small or large groups with their friends and family and aims to help children get more of the 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity recommended in a fun and accessible way.

It follows a national survey by Public Health England which found the number of children meeting the recommended amount of physical activity for healthy development and to maintain a healthy weight - which is 60 minutes a day - drops by 40 per cent between the ages of five and 12.

Currently, just 22 per cent of boys and 29 per cent of girls in the Yorkshire and the Humber region meet the national recommended level of activity.

In North Yorkshire, 21 per cent of four to five year olds start primary school overweight or obese, rising to 30 per cent by the time they leave at 10 and 11 years old.

“Last year, the 10 Minute Shake Ups programme helped more than a million children get more active,’’ said County Councillor Caroline Dickinson, executive member for public health.

“The programme doesn’t just end after the summer holidays, though, as when children return to school in September more activities will be released on the Change4Life schools website to encourage them to carry on being active both in and outside the classroom.

“Supporting the Shake Ups campaign is part of a wider commitment by North Yorkshire County Council to tackle obesity amongst people of all ages and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.”

Families can take part in this summer’s 10 Minute Shake Ups programme by visiting; nhs.uk/10-minute-shake-up/shake-ups