Family step challenge

Pool everyone's steps, pick a famous trail and see how long it would take you to walk it as a family.

Your details

Walking Hadrian's Wall Path together

7 days

to cover its 135 km at your usual steps

Family distance a day19.9 km (12.4 miles)
Family distance a week139.4 km
Adults (2 x 7,000 steps)9.9 km a day, steps about 70 cm
Children (2 x 9,000 steps)10.1 km a day, steps about 56 cm
With 1,000 extra steps each a day7 days

Steps are about 41% of height, so children cover less ground per step and every step still counts. The UK Chief Medical Officers suggest children and young people average at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day across the week; for adults, a large 2022 study found benefits levelling off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day under 60 and 6,000 to 8,000 over 60. This is a game, not a target: make it fun and let everyone go at their own pace.

Stop and get help if you have chest pain, feel faint or are unusually breathless. Call 999 for chest pain that does not go away. If you have a heart, lung or joint condition, or have been unwell, check with your GP before stepping up.

The working

2 adults and 2 children on Hadrian's Wall

Two adults at 7,000 steps (170 cm tall, steps about 70 cm) cover 9.9 km a day; two children at 9,000 steps (135 cm, steps about 56 cm) add 10.1 km. Together that is 19.9 km a day, so the 135 km Hadrian's Wall Path takes 7 days of normal life.

The trails

National Trails distances

Trail	Length
Hadrian's Wall Path	135 km (84 miles)
Offa's Dyke Path	285 km (177 miles)
Pennine Way	431 km (268 miles)
South West Coast Path	1,014 km (630 miles)

Keeping it fun

Ideas that work for families

Put a map on the fridge and colour in each day
Let the youngest pick the after school walk route
Count scooting, dancing and football as active time, even without steps
Celebrate the halfway point, not just the finish

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Set targets for childrenThere is no official step count for children, and it should never feel like a test.
Measure your strideStep length is estimated from height; a measured stride is better.
Count everythingSwimming, cycling and play all count as activity, even if a phone misses them.

Questions

Common questions

How many steps should a child do a day?

There is no UK step target. The UK Chief Medical Officers suggest children and young people average at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity across the week.

How far is 10,000 steps?

For an adult of 170 cm it is about 7 km, or 4.4 miles. Children cover less ground per step.

Why do children count less distance?

Step length is roughly 41% of height, so a child of 135 cm covers about 56 cm a step against 70 cm for an adult of 170 cm.

What if someone in the family cannot walk far?

Count wheeling, swimming or any movement in minutes instead, and share the total. Everyone's contribution counts.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Help for children and teens

Your health visitor, school nurse or GP can help with sleep, eating or activity worries. For urgent advice call NHS 111, and call 999 in an emergency.