Keep Your Kids ACTIVE
Children need at least an hour of physical activity every day to stay healthy, but which types of play are right for your child?

Click on the buttons below to learn the average ages when children reach milestones in physical development, and the physical activities and games that are best at each stage.

3 - 5 Years Old At 3-5, children aren't ready for competition or organized sports. They have a limited understanding of teamwork, strategy or rules. Individualized activities are more appropriate. Encourage your 3-5-year-old to climb, hang, walk, run, jump, hop, skip, gallop, slide, leap, pull, push, pedal, bat, kick, throw, strike (with paddles/rackets), and swing. Use games like "Hokey-Pokey" and "Simon Says" to teach left and right. Play "Follow the Leader" to foster balance and coordination. ACT ON IT! Now that you know the kinds of activities your children are ready for, try to make time in your life to get out there and be active with them. Or use community resources like schools, clubs, and city recreation departments to find out where you can get your kids started.

MEDICAL REVIEW: Reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD, April 2007.

SOURCE DOCUMENTATION: Kids in Action: Fitness for Kids Ages 1-5, Kellogg Company, National Association for Sport and Physical Education and The President's Council on Fitness and Sports, 2003; Get Fit! A Handbook for Youth Ages 6-17, The President's Council on Fitness and Sports, 2003.

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