How to Get Started
It is important to create opportunities for daily movement if you want to improve your child’s mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Children who engage in fitness activities from an early age grow into fit and strong adults.
These tips will help you create a love for movement in children:
The activity must be age-appropriate
Do not tell a 3-year-old to engage in activities meant for older children, such as badminton. This could result in physical injuries. You can reduce the height of the net and give the 3-year-old child a smaller racket with a big ball to aid movement and encourage fun.
Engage in activities that build motor skills
Children should develop sufficient motor skills from an early age. Motor skills [2] help improve coordination, balance [3], reaction time, and strength.
Activities such as hopping, riding a bike or trike with training wheels, throwing or kicking a ball, and obstacle courses can improve the motor skills of preschool-age kids and toddlers. Ensure your child wears protective gear, such as a helmet when riding a strike. Also, make sure you stay nearby to monitor them and prevent any physical injuries [4].
Use active toys
Toys are great learning tools for children. When buying an outdoor or indoor toy, it is important to choose items that encourage active play, like bikes and scooters for older children, and balls for young children. You can also buy Climbing toys for toddlers, and school-age and preschool children.
Encourage your child to focus more on active toys than passive toys [5]. You can ask your child to exchange a passive toy for a new active toy [6].