Increasing physical activity opportunities for infants and achieving at least 180 minutes for those who are walking may appear quite challenging.
Make physical activity a priority and build it into your daily routine will make it easier to achieve.
180 minutes is approximately 15 minutes of activity out of each hour your child is awake.
Ensure that your child has suitable clothing which does not restrict movement and that they are suitably equipped for outdoor play with footwear and raincoat.
Ideas for physical activities with babies/infants not walking:
- Moving baby to music in your arms.
- Tummy Time in prone position on floor, over a towel or lying on you.
- Stimulate with voice, tactile objects or age appropriate sensory toys.
- Place them under colourful gyms.
- Get down on the floor and play with them.
- Activities which promote reaching, creeping, crawling, and cruising such as placing objects out of reach or semi hiding objects.
- Create tunnels to crawl under and objects to chase such as large slow moving balls.
- Activities for babies should include time outdoors when they can explore their environment.
Ideas for physical activities for walkers:
- Active songs and dancing to music.
- Construction play such as making dens, shop or spaceship out of boxes and suitable household object.
- Outdoor play and creating of travelling pathways, assault courses.
- Trips to open spaces, looking for objects of different colours e.g. trees.
- Use of local parks, indoor plays gyms, playing with friends or siblings.
- Active travel to shops, settings, friends or places of worship.
- Organised activities at stay and plays, local leisure facilities and child care setting.
- Involve children in daily tasks such as shopping, brushing and tidying up.
When using a child care setting:
- Look for settings with adequate space for physical play.
- Enquire about what opportunities for physical activities your child will be doing on a daily basis.
- See if the setting promotes active travel through bike parks etc.
Suzy Startwell Says...
Show your child that activity is important by being active yourself.
Model movements and encourage your child to try or join in.
Praise, encourage and support their efforts and avoid making physical activity competetive.