Why physical exercise is so important for young children

With the Olympic Games well underway in Paris, what a great incentive to get children to turn off their screens and get active. So let’s have a look at the importance of physical exercise for young children. Feature photo from NEEC’s Move Program – Olympic Edition: Equestrian Games.

Did you know that developing healthy habits in early childhood associated with being physically active sets the foundation for good habits in later life and can impact on immediate and long-term health outcomes? Archer and Siraj (2015) state that: “the early years is one of the critical periods in the establishment of physical behaviours and physical development”. They also explain how encouraging physical activity in a child-led and play-based way not only is a fun way to benefit your child’s health, but that movement play links to all areas of early childhood development.

How does physical exercise benefit my child?

For babies and young children, being physically active every day can:

• Build strong bones and muscles 
• Improve balance, coordination and flexibility
• Improve posture
• Encourage independence
• Encrease confidence and self-esteem
• Provide opportunities to develop social skills and make friends
• Promote better concentration and thinking skills
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Contribute to a healthy weight
• Develop motor skills and reduce injuries
• Relieve stress and promote relaxation and sleep
• Provide the opportunity to develop fundamental movement skills.

How much physical activity does my child need each day?

Even before babies (birth to 1 year) are mobile, they should be physically active a few times a day. This can include supervised floor-based play, reaching for and grasping objects, and tummy time (at least 30 minutes a day). Supervised water-based play, such as bath time or swim lessons, can also a great way for babies to develop their muscles, motor skills, as well as opportunities to develop social and emotional skills.

Young children, aged 1 to 5 years, should spend at least 180 minutes in a variety of physical activities spread throughout each day, including energetic play. Preschool aged children (3 to 5 years) should engage in at least 60 minutes of energetic play each day like running, dancing, kicking, swimming, or jumping.

Limit screen time and sedentary activities

Research has found that 2 in 3 Australian children aged 2 to 17 years are not active enough and do not meet the recommended Australian guidelines. To encourage children to be physically active each day and to develop healthy habits for life:

1. Limit sedentary time, that is being inactive by sitting or lying down for long periods, except when sleeping.
2. Avoid sedentary screen-based activities which can have long-term impacts on a child’s health and development. ‘Screen time’ includes, for example, watching television or using electronic media such as computers, tablets or electronic games.

The Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (birth to 5 years) recommend that:

• children aged 0-2 years are provided with no screen time
• children aged 2-5 years spend less than 1 hour a day on screen time.

About SEEC’s Move Program

Sydney Early Education Centre’s MOVE Program is a part of SEEC’s Learning for Life Curriculum which highlights the importance of building the foundational skills for lifelong learning. We value active play and ensure this by offering children many opportunities throughout each day to physically engage in our learning environments in self-initiated play as well as teacher-initiated planned learning experiences. SEEC’s Move Program follows the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years and incorporates Munch & Move (NSW Health) into our daily practices.

What does this look like in practice at SEEC?

For babies and children aged up to 2 years

Some of the ways our educators encourage our babies to be as active as possible in our safe, supervised, and stimulating play environments include:

• We spend quality time on the floor with our babies and encourage activity such as grasping, crawling, throwing and standing, by the careful and planned placement of educational resources and equipment.
• We encourage young babies to engage in tummy time of at least 30 minutes a day in multiple short sessions, increasing with age and capabilities.
• We advocate for natural movement by creating safe supervised play spaces and we nurse non-sitting babies on our laps when during meals or when engaging in experiences such as sensory play. We don’t support the use of highchairs, rockers or prams that resist natural movement and ask a child to be strapped in.
• We sing action songs and songs with musical instruments to encourage arm movements such as clapping, and dancing.
• Our children explore and create with clay using their hands, fingers, feet and toes.
• We incorporate simple fun yoga moves designed for children under 2 years of age.
• Rolling a ball between us and the baby to show how to roll the ball back – the beginning of throwing and catching.

For children aged 2 to 5 years

• SEEC’s Move Program for children aged 2 to 5 years centres around educating and having the children practice fundamental movement skills (FMS) in a fun but structured and planned way by our educators. FMS are a specific set of gross motor movements that involve different body parts such as the feet, legs, trunk, hands, arms and head, and are essential for children’s participation in sport and physical activity throughout life. They include:

1. Jumping 
2. Running 
3. Hopping 
4. Galloping 
5. Leaping 
6. Side-sliding 
7. Skipping 
8. Catching 
9. Underarm throwing 
10. Overarm throwing 
11. Catching 
12. Stationary dribbling 
13. Striking a stationary ball

Our FMS planned learning experiences and games also help to develop other skills such as hand-eye coordination, instruction retention, spatial cognition, bodily control, muscle development, and motor sequencing.

• We value the use of digital technology as a part of our educational program and multimodal play. We limit each child’s screen time to be consistent with the recommendations of the Australian Guidelines and take into consideration how much screen time each child may have at home.
• SEEC also engages multi-sports specialists and coaches to enhance our Preschool Move Program.  

Ideas for families to be active and limit screen time: 

• Children learn by example and be physical active yourself. Research shows that the involvement of parents in physical exercise can increase a child’s participation. Monitor your own screen time and lead by example.
• Walk or ride a bike to the local shops or park rather than driving.
• Set up obstacle courses or a ‘mini Olympics’ in your backyard or local park.
• Leave the TV off when it is not being watched and rather choose music as ‘background noise’.
• Get children involved actively in household chores with you, such as sweeping and gardening. 
• Choose educational activities when sitting such as reading, craft, or building with blocks.
• Make certain days of the week ‘screen free’. It’s good for children to have at least one day of the week without the use of a tablet or TV.
• Play ball games (rolling, kicking, throwing) to each other, towards a target, or through a hoop or tunnel. Vary the size of the ball or try a bean bag or a balloon to add some challenge.
• Play games such as a scavenger hunt, freeze game (stop when the music stops), obstacle follow the leader or moving like different animals.
• Bubble play
• Go for a hike together through the bush
• Do yoga together
• Sing action songs such as ‘I’m a Little Teapot’, ‘Hokey Pokey’, ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt’ or ‘Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes; just to name a few! 
• Have fun with sensory play – try water, sand or mud to encourage movement. Go together for a swim, head to the beach or find a nature trail to explore. Bring sensory play home with these materials and add some natural materials such as leaves or flowers. Use paint for some messy but creative movement. Sensory play captures the interest of children of all ages and encourages them to move and be active in their play. Join them to make it even better!

References

Archer, C., & Siraj, I. (2015). Encouraging physical development through movement-play. Sage.
ACECQA (2015). Establishing Healthy Lifestyle Habits.
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care. Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines for all Australians.
NSW Government (2020). Munch & Move