NFL PLAY 60, Kids Heart Challenge join forces to help students move more, stress less

American Heart Association & NFL partnership expands to boost kids’ school performance, health

American Heart Association Press Release 

This back-to-school season, the American Heart Association and the National Football League, in collaboration with its 32 NFL clubs, are taking the physical activity and mental wellness program of NFL PLAY 60 back into the classroom – this time in connection with the AHA’s legacy school programs Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge. This expanded initiative supports the evidence-based guidance that students who are active learn better, focus more, think more clearly, react to stress more calmy, and perform and behave better in the classroom, according to the American Heart Association.

The NFL and the American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all, have been teaming up since 2006 to inspire kids through fun and engaging ways to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day through NFL PLAY 60. Rooted in the American Heart Association’s physical activity guidelines that recommend kids get a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day, this collaboration is in its 19th season. Developing healthy habits and reducing sedentary behaviors in kids is key to immediate and long-term health benefits, which is a vision also shared with nearly 50-year-old Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs that reach over 10 million families annually.

“Bringing together these two powerful programs – each with a long legacy of inspiring students to move more and live healthier – is a milestone in our mission to meet young people where they are,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “As we launch the newest evolution of the NFL PLAY 60 program, we’re deepening our partnership with the NFL and reinforcing our shared commitment to building a world of longer, healthier lives through physical activity, heart health and safety. At the American Heart Association, our future is about improving yours.”

Students, teachers and caregivers can expect to see exciting things this season as NFL PLAY 60 and Kids Heart Challenge share new ways to get – and stay – active.

“As we kick off the 19th season of NFL PLAY 60, we’re thrilled to expand our programming to include new resources that support both the physical health and mental wellness of our country’s youth,” NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson said. “Together with our partners at the American Heart Association, we're committed to making sure that kids everywhere can lead a healthy lifestyle."

New this year is the addition of the NFL PLAY 60 family challenge, which will encourage families to get active together at home, matching quality time with prioritizing wellness with creative ways for the whole family to move more and sit less.

As a part of Kids Heart Challenge, students and their families will learn hands-only CPR to support the chain of survival in their communities. The NFL’s support of this work includes an introduction video by Damar Hamlin, Nation of Lifesavers national ambassador and Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor, in advance of the Kids Heart Challenge Finn’s Mission learning module. Each student who completes the hands-only CPR instruction will earn an entry for two tickets to Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Five individual winners will be drawn, and five schools participating in the challenge will receive $10,000 fitness equipment makeovers. Entries are available to those completing Finn’s Mission. Parents and school administrators can visit heart.org/schools to learn how their students can participate. The winners will be notified in September 2026.

Lastly, new to NFL PLAY 60 is an expanded financial grants program for schools, focusing on four key areas: physical activity, FLAG football, recess and inclusive physical education. Applications for the $350,000 grant program will be open year-round to help educators support students in real time.

A returning element for NFL PLAY 60 back again this year by popular demand is the fan favorite the NFL PLAY 60 exercise library, which features 2-to-3 minute on-demand exercise videos from each of the 32 NFL teams featuring players, NFL Legends, cheerleaders and mascots. These videos are helpful to parents, teachers and caregivers on days where outside play is not possible due to weather conditions, when students need to get the wiggles out to refocus in the classroom or even a fitness break in the day to add minutes toward the daily movement goal of 60 minutes.

Information on NFL PLAY 60 resources and available grant opportunities can be found online at heart.org/NFLPLAY60.