How a Little Festive Movement Became a National Tradition: The Story Behind imoves Active Advent

It all started with a simple thought: how do we keep children moving, focused, and relatively well-behaved in December? That little idea has now become a joyful, national tradition here at imoves.

We all know the familiar classroom challenge December brings. Kids are tired, excitement levels are through the roof, and their attention spans are… well, they’re basically packed and ready for Christmas.

Back in 2018, we asked a simple question: What if we could actually use all that incredible excitement to keep children engaged and learning?

That lightbulb moment gave birth to Active Advent. It’s a series of short, follow-along classroom videos designed to help teachers keep movement, focus, and joy alive and kicking right through to the holidays.

At imoves, our core mission has always been to make movement a normal, easy part of every school day, not just in PE, but in the classroom, in corridors, and everywhere else.

The problem is, hitting that target of 30 active minutes a day in December feels nigh on impossible. Activity levels almost always dip when rehearsals, assessments, and bad weather take over.

We wanted to create something that was fun, free, and completely stress-free. Something that would help teachers bring those daily activity minutes back in a way that truly felt like a celebration, not just another thing on the to-do list.

In our first year, only a few hundred schools joined in. Fast forward seven years, and now 1000’s of teachers and children have taken part each December! That’s a lot of children moving together every single day as they count down to Christmas.

Each school day, they open a new Active Blast, short, high-energy videos packed with festive music, dance, fitness, and mindfulness. It’s like opening a movement-filled advent calendar, and the results have been incredible.

What We’re Hearing From Teachers

Teachers consistently tell us Active Advent is one of the few initiatives that’s genuinely easy and effective:

"We made use of imoves in the countdown to Christmas at school. I have a reception class and the children really enjoyed the choice of music... The sessions were short and easy to log onto... It was a fun, accessible and easy resource to use. Thank you!"

– Gemma Barry

"Really enjoying taking part in Active Advent! My class beg to do it every day and it’s a fantastic way to keep them active, especially during winter!"

– Maisey Hannah

So, Why Does It Work So Well?

The science is clear: short bursts of movement are proven to boost mood, concentration, and memory. Schools using Active Advent consistently report calmer transitions, improved engagement, and fewer behaviour issues during what can often be the most challenging time of year.

Active Advent Partnership 2025

This year, we’re thrilled to be joined by Davies Sports, your trusted provider of high-quality PE and sports equipment. Their support means we can keep Active Advent completely free for every school in the UK, and they’re even adding a little extra sparkle with weekly prizes for our most active classrooms. A huge thank you to the brilliant team who made this happen!

One Last Thought

Active Advent is a powerful reminder that movement doesn’t have to stop just because the Christmas rehearsals begin. With a little bit of creativity and a lot of festive spirit, we can keep children’s bodies and minds energised right up to that final bell.

Join us this December at imoves.com/active-advent and help us keep the joy of movement alive!

By Imogen Buxton-Pickles Founder and Director at imoves