Move More for Children and Young People

Physical activity is central to your child’s normal growth and development and its importance continues through their school years and into adulthood and older age, ensuring:

healthy bones, muscles and joints
a healthy heart and lungs
good coordination and movement control
a healthy body weight
reduced risk of conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers

It’s recommended that children aged 5 – 18 years old do 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. This activity does not need to be done all at once and can be achieved across the whole day.

Games, play, sports and activities such as; swimming, trampolining and walking or cycling to and from school are all great ways to help children achieve their 60 minutes and provide other benefits such as:

boosting your child’s mood and self-esteem making them feel good
social interaction
improved concentration and behaviour

For more ideas and information about how children and families can get active in Dudley visit the following links:

PHASES Gym-based Physical Activity Programme

PHASES is a free 12-week gym-based exercise programme for 11 – 16 year olds led by qualified instructors delivered at Action Heart Gym, Russell’s Hall Hospital on Saturday mornings.

Eligibility criteria:

– young person must live in the Dudley Borough, attend an education setting in the Dudley Borough, or be registered with a Dudley GP surgery

– young person must be inactive, undertaking less than 30 minutes of activity a day or be classed as overweight

To book a place ask your GP or school nurse to make a referral. Alternatively, email PHASES: dgft.phases@nhs.net

Park Active

Qualified volunteer instructors deliver free outdoor activity sessions in 5 parks across the borough. Everyone is able to work at their own level and enjoy the benefits of exercising outdoors. These circuit-based 45 minute sessions are family-friendly, fun and suit all ages and abilities.

Junior parkrun

Junior parkrun is a free, fun, and friendly weekly 2k event for juniors (4 to 14 year olds) held every Sunday at 9.00am at Stevens Park, Wollescote Road, Stourbridge, DY9 7JG.

Healthy Hub Parks Activities

There are four ‘Healthy Hub’ activity centres across Dudley, offering free physical activities suitable for all ages and abilities.

Netherton Park, Dudley

Silver Jubilee Park, Coseley

Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge

Huntingtree Park, Halesowen

Parks and open spaces

Find out more about our parks and open spaces, including locations, facilities, activities and events.

The Dudley Community Information Directory

The Dudley Community Information Directory, provides you will find all the information and advice you need about Dudley. You can find things to do and places to go with details of events and activities taking place for children, young people and families.

Leisure Centres

There are three leisure centres in Dudley and an outdoor sports venue comprising of swimming pools, sports halls, lifestyle gyms, squash courts, soft play area, 3G football pitch and a running track. The centres cater for sports, fitness and recreation activities as well as a range of courses such as swimming lessons.

Active Zone

Inclusive ActiveZone offers fun sports for children with learning or physical disabilities and their siblings or friends. Activities include trampolining, bouncy castle, dodgeball, volleyball, parachute games and multi sports. It’s free to attend, but booking is essential. For details please contact Crystal.leisurecentre@dudley.gov.uk

FREE Swimming in Dudley

Free swimming is available for children aged 16 and under during Dudley borough school holidays*

Tennis in Dudley

Mary Stevens Park & Priory Park – Saturday 10am-11am

LTA Free Parks Tennis is a community led session that gives more people the chance to play tennis – offering fun, social tennis sessions at a local park court near you. Sessions are free for all juniors and adults, and for all abilities, running for one hour on the first Saturday of the month at 10am by a team of trained volunteers. Please note all children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a playing adult (18 and over). Please book each individual player onto the session.

Walking Trails

You and your family can follow these self-guided trails and explore the history and heritage of the borough.

Cycling

Regular sessions are held on the first Saturday of every month including learn to ride, bikeability (level 1, 2 and 3) and organised rides. For more information contact the road safety and awareness team.

Better Health: Healthier Families Get Active Ideas

From fun 10 Minute Shake Up games to information about active hobbies and sports, here’s everything you need to get your family moving!

Guidance on movement for babies aged 0-12 months

Recommendations for movement for children aged 1-5 years

Infographic titled “Physical activity for children and young people (5–18 Years)”. The infographic highlights the benefits of physical activity, including building confidence and social skills, strengthening muscles and bones, maintaining a healthy weight, developing coordination, improving health and fitness, improving sleep, improving concentration and learning, and helping children and young people feel good. At the centre is a clock graphic with the message: “Be physically active 60 minutes per day across the week.” The infographic states that activities should be spread throughout the day and should make children and young people breathe faster and feel warmer. Examples of activities shown include: Play Walking and running Swimming Skating Skipping Climbing Cycling Active travel Sport Physical education (PE) Workouts and exercise Dancing A central panel advises undertaking activities to develop movement skills and muscle and bone strength across the week. At the bottom, arrows encourage children and young people to reduce inactivity, get strong and move more, and increase activity. The infographic concludes with the message: “Find ways to help all children and young people accumulate an average of at least 60 minutes physical activity per day across the week.” The design uses blue, green, orange, turquoise and purple illustrations and is attributed to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, 2026.

Promotional flyer for the PHASES free gym-based physical activity programme. At the top, four raised arms hold exercise equipment, including dumbbells, a resistance band, and a kettlebell. The flyer states that PHASES is a free 12-week programme for young people aged 11–16 in Dudley, held on Saturday mornings at Action Heart Gym, Russell’s Hall Hospital, with sessions led by qualified instructors. Participants can book through a GP or school nurse referral, or by contacting dgft.phases@nhs.net. Eligibility criteria include living, studying, or being registered with a GP in Dudley, and being inactive (less than 30 minutes of activity per day) or classified as overweight. Action Heart and Dudley Council logos appear at the bottom.

Recommendations for movement for disabled children and disabled young people.

Infographic titled“Physical Activity for Disabled Children and Disabled Young People.” The infographic is based on the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Disabled Children and Disabled Young People (2022) and notes that it was co-produced with disabled children and young people, parents, and carers. The infographic explains that getting and staying active is about: Exploring activities that make you feel good Equality Inclusivity Finding what is fun The main recommendation is to aim for 20 minutes of physical activity per day. Key guidance includes: When starting, build up slowly Ask yourself,“Can you do this today?” Do bite-sized chunks of physical activity throughout the day Do challenging but manageable strength and balance activities three times per week Remember that small amounts of physical activity are good for you as well The infographic highlights a range of benefits of physical activity, including: Meeting new people Improved mental health Stronger muscles and better motor skills Increased confidence and concentration A sense of achievement Feeling calmer and less stressed Improved balance and coordination The design uses simple text-based messaging with a central illustration and focuses on encouraging inclusive, enjoyable, and achievable physical activity for disabled children and young people.

Page updated July 2026