The importance of regular physical exercise for toddlers and preschoolers cannot be overstated. Regular physical activity has several advantages, including a decreased risk of illness, improved bone, and muscle mass and strength, increased energy, and less stress. We need to educate ourselves on the health advantages of exercise and how to include it in our daily routines for our toddlers and preschoolers.
Young children between the ages of 2 and 4 need a great deal of physical activity, but it’s not the only movement they need. So, although it’s vital to set out time for unstructured, active play, you should also provide your children with easy access to a range of exciting activities that will encourage them to be physically active and learn new skills.
Musical Peek-a-Boo
If necessary, play music on the phone and conceal it from the kids. Then, you and your kids may go on a joint hunt to find out what’s playing. The toddlers will like this exercise, which will also get them moving.
Make a Tower Out of Blocks!
You’ll need blocks, containers with lids, or anything similar that can be stacked for this game. Build a tower with a youngster using the object of your choosing. Add bricks or containers to the building one at a time and watch how high the youngster can make it. To break the tower, you’ll need to count the number of things placed on top of each other.
Designs made using wet sponges
Gather a bunch of sponges and a tub of water, and let your kids unleash their creativity by throwing their sponges against a wall or a concrete surface to create patterns. It is also possible to use sponges to “paint” a wall.
Treasure Hunting
Let your child unleash their inner pirate by hiding small toys like plastic dinosaurs, small cars, or marbles.
Imitate animals
Young children mimic the movement of animals while playing on their knees. For example, they may walk like a penguin or a frog. It is possible for these animals to walk on all fours, roll on their backs, and even arch their backs. Using a wide range of animals and motions can keep kids interested and busy.
Traffic safety
A red, a yellow, and a green-colored paper circle are needed for this. Put “Stop,” “Slow,” and “Go” in the red, yellow, and green circles, respectively. In this game, one youngster is picked to be the traffic light, and they’ll hold up the green circle, yellow circle, and red circle in turn.
When “Go,” “Slow,” and “Stop” are held up, the other youngsters walk ahead, slow down, and freeze. Toddlers can learn about driving safety while having fun with this active play activity.
Simon/Simone says
The principles are basic, but the possibilities for movement are infinite. It doesn’t matter whether the kids are hopping like a kangaroo or standing as tall as a house; Simon can get them to do anything.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a fun indoor or outdoor game for kids of all ages. Tape on the floor may be used to create your board, and buttons, wrapped socks, or bean bags can be used in place of pebbles. Outside, draw a court with chalk and mark it with pebbles or the chalk itself. The rules are easy to follow, and the game may be played alone or with a group of people.
Balancing game
A gymnastics beam isn’t the only technique to teach youngsters how to keep their feet on the ground. To create a straight line on the floor, use tape to mark a line the floor. Then, remind them to walk in all directions: forward, backward, and even sideways! It’s possible to walk on a tightrope. Outside, you may use a wooden board, a rope, or a chalk line for the same purpose. Adding semi-circles or zigzags to your child’s drawing will provide them with an extra challenge after mastering the straight line.
Ice tag
An old-fashioned game of frozen tag is great fun for a large group of four or more children. Identify one kid as “it” and have them pursue the rest of the kids around. They must freeze (stand still) until they are “unfrozen” by being touched by someone else. All players are frozen when “it” takes over as “it.” The game restarts with a new “it.”
Aim for the Balloon
Encourage toddlers to use their hands to prevent a balloon from falling. Then, instruct the youngsters to hit the balloon over the barrier to the other kid by placing an object between them, such as a chair or cushion. It is possible for youngsters to sprint, zigzag, and hop while retaining their balance while chasing balloons.
Obstacle Course
Set up an obstacle course for your youngster, inside or out, and allow your creativity to run wild. You may have them crawl under tables, climb over chairs, leap over ropes, hop from one cone to the next, crawl under a cardboard box, and so on.
A child’s ideal exercise environment is unquestionably the great outdoors. Indoor activities for children tend to be less intense than those that take place outside, even if they may be done simultaneously. Playgrounds are a great place for toddlers, preschoolers, and young children to get some exercise. Children will have a great time simultaneously developing their gross and fine motor abilities. They can climb, jump, and swing with their buddies on a playground!