Guidelines
  • Infants need the opportunity to move. Caregivers should provide objects and toys and play games to encourage their infants to move and do things for themselves.
  • Infants need a safe environment for physical activity.
  • Rough-and-tumble activities are not appropriate for infants. Infants usually signal their distress (e.g., by crying) if the physical activity is too vigorous, overwhelming, or disconcerting.
  • Appropriate activities include gently turning, rolling, bouncing, and swaying infants to increase their muscle strength and to help them develop important connections between the brain and the muscles.
Information from: Patrick K, Spear B, Holt K, Sofka, D, eds. 2001. Bright Futures in Practice: Physical Activity. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health.

Activities


Guidelines
  • Caregivers should promote daily physical activity.
  • Allow children to do things for themselves (e.g., letting them climb up into the child safety seat).
  • Caregivers should participate in physical activity with their children and should be positive role models by participating in other physical activities themselves.
  • Wait until children are 6 years old before beginning organized sports. In early childhood children are too young to understand rules and strategies and to handle the emotional and social stress sometimes associated with organized sports.
  • Appropriate activities include running, jumping, climbing, and throwing, catching, or hitting a ball. Simple games such as “Simon says,” chase, and tag are also appropriate. Children can also participate in developmentally appropriate organized activities such as tumbling, gymnastics, and dancing.
Information from: Patrick K, Spear B, Holt K, Sofka, D, eds. 2001. Bright Futures in Practice: Physical Activity. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health.

Activities


Guidelines
  • Children should be physically active every day, as part of play, games, physical education, planned physical activities, and recreation.
  • Caregivers should participate in physical activity with their children and be positive role models by participating in other physical activities themselves.
  • Caregivers should encourage children to drink plenty of fluids when they are physically active. Before puberty, children are at increased risk for heat-related illness because their sweat glands are not fully developed and they cannot cool themselves as well as adolescents can.
  • Activities should focus on having fun and developing motor skills rather than on competition.
  • Appropriate activities include running, galloping, jumping, hopping, skipping, tumbling, swimming, and throwing, catching, or kicking a ball. Children can also help with household chores to incorporate physical activity into daily life (walk the dog, sweep the floor, rake the leaves, help wash the car, and help in the garden).
Information from: Patrick K, Spear B, Holt K, Sofka, D, eds. 2001. Bright Futures in Practice: Physical Activity. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health.

Activities