Ages 4 to 6
This is the age when you may be looking at your kids and thinking, “If only I had that much energy!” And for good reason—four- to six-year-olds are naturally active and feeling increasingly confident in their abilities to do things like run, jump, skip, throw, kick, and climb. Their willingness to try new things may also lead to increasing bumps and bruises, as well, so appropriate protective gear is essential, particularly for activities such as riding on scooters, bikes, and skates. Many children are learning (or have learned) to swim and enjoy playtime in the pool, while others are developing basic skills for sports such as soccer and tee ball. Keep in mind that children at this age are becoming increasingly interactive and social, so giving them opportunities to be physically active with other children (through classes and active play-dates) is a great way to encourage their natural desire to move and be active.
How Parents Can Help
Between the ages of 4 and 6, the focus should continue to be on having fun and developing finer motor skills, such as catching and throwing, riding a bike (first with and then without training wheels), dancing, balancing, and climbing up and down structures, such as a playground or even boulders and rocks. Children ages 4 to 6 may begin to develop a preference for certain activities and sports over others, with some wanting to learn specific skills such as kicking a soccer ball or swinging a bat, while others preferring less-formal games like tag or hide-and-seek. At this age, most children have developed a preference for using one hand over the other for specific tasks.
While children can continue to develop their motor skills through independent play, they may also benefit from more structured programs, such as tumbling and junior sports classes. This will largely depend on the child’s preference and comfort level, but classes can be a great way for kids to try new activities and learn new skills. Just be sure to manage expectations—both yours and your child’s—with regard to skill development and their ability to learn rules and follow directions. If you find your child is getting frustrated and not having fun, it might be a good idea to take a break from sports participation. After all, early negative experiences could discourage future participation.
The keys to helping kids at this age stay active is to give them plenty of opportunities throughout the day, to make it fun, and, whenever possible, to make it social. To help your children develop a lifelong love of being active, it’s essential that they connect activity with having fun and being with friends.
Although some children begin to focus on developing specific sports-related skills at this age, it is more important to simply encourage movement and play. Active-play games like tag and Duck, Duck, Goose, playing on a field or playground, or building obstacle courses to run through all facilitate both cooperation and a love of physical activity. Video-based games, such as dance and sports games, are a great way to help kids (and parents) stay active indoors (while also introducing the concept of competition in a friendly environment), while also introducing specific skills, such as throwing, jumping, and dancing.
Fun Things To Do
Children ages 4 to 6 should have at least 60 minutes of structured (adult-led) physical activity and at least one to several hours of unstructured physical activity every day.
Apart from sleeping, children at this age should not be sedentary for longer than one hour at a time.
At this age, physical activity can be performed both indoors and out, and should involve large muscles groups as well as opportunities to develop motor skills.
Indoor activities might include dancing to music, youth-focused exercise videos, tumbling, and active video-based games.
Outdoor activities include running, riding on bicycles, scooters and skates, kicking and throwing balls, hitting a ball with a bat or racquet, karate, gymnastics, and junior sports, and playground activities such as slides, climbing stairs, monkey bars, and swings, with appropriate adult assistance and supervision.
Check out these great articles for more information:
“Active Parents = Active, Healthy Kids”
“Staying Active When Your Kids Ages Vary Widely”
“Why Staying Active Can Help Improve Your Kids’ Performance in School”
“Staying Active In Between Homework and Extracurricular Activities”