FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Q: What's the proper way to do a jumping jack?
A: Stand with your legs together and your arms by your sides. Jump into the air and land with your leg wide apart and your arms raised above your head, forming a star shape. Jump again to bring your legs back together and your arms back to your sides.


Q: I live in Tokyo, Japan. Can I participate in this record?
A: Absolutely! Anyone in the world can participate, as long as you do one minute of jumping jacks during the 24-hour period.


Q: I'm not a subscriber to NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS. In fact, I'm not even a kid. Can I still participate?
A: Of course! As long as you can do a jumping jack, you can participate in this record attempt. Just make sure to follow the rules. Read the rules here.


Q: I'm not sure how many people will come to my jumping jack event. Which set of rules should I follow?
A: Just do your best to guesstimate how many people will be participating. The rules are a general guideline to make sure that there are enough people to accurately count the participants. We understand that many locations won't be able to predict how many people will show up.


Q: I'm ready to jump today! What should I do?
A: You should wait! The one minute of jumping jacks can only be done between 3 p.m. ET October 11, 2011, and 3 p.m. ET October 12, 2011. (Times and dates are subject to change; check for updates online.) In the meantime, start organizing your event for that week! Get your school, your athletic team, your Scout troop, your place of worship excited about participating.


Q: I'm a teacher at a school. Can I be an independent witness, supervisor, or timekeeper for my school's jumping jack event?
A: Witnesses and supervisors need to be independent of the location, participants, or host organization. But it's easy to find independent participants. Ask someone--a doctor, lawyer, firefighter, city employee, business executive, etc.--who has a high standing in the community. Local celebrities--TV journalists, newspaper columnists, bloggers, etc.--are great to ask, too. That way your event will be sure to get publicity! Click here for information about how to find independent witnesses, supervisors, and timekeepers.


Q: My child is going to be jumping with her sports team. Can I be an independent witness or supervisor for her attempt?
A: Please see the above explanation about independent witnesses and supervisors.


Q: Do I have to do jumping jacks for 24 straight hours?
A: That'd be impossible! The record is for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour time period. Just do one minute of jumping jacks within that 24-hour time period, and you're good to go!


Q: I own a store and want to hold an event every hour. Is this OK, or do I have to hold one big event?
A: It's fine to hold multiple events at one location! Just make sure that you have the proper number of independent witnesses and supervisors for the number of participants at each jump. You also need to make sure that jumpers participate in only one event.


Q: I thought I just needed one or two independent witnesses, depending on the size of the group.
A: If you're holding multiple events, each event should be treated as a separate attempt. If, however, your independent witness(es) observes all the events, you only need one or two, depending on the number of participants at the separate events.


Q: OK, so I'll hold some jumping jack events at my store. Can my employees be independent witnesses, supervisors, or timekeepers?
A: Please read the information on how to find independent witnesses, etc.


Q: I'm a principal at a school. Can my students do jumping jacks in their classrooms, or do I have to hold one big jumping jack event?
A: You can do either. If all the classes are jumping at once, there must be one independent witness and timekeeper in each class (as long as the class size is under 50). For one big event, you'll need one independent witness, the proper amount of supervisors depending on the number of students, and two timekeepers.