Exercises for 3 year olds
Fitness and Your 3- to 5-Year-Old (for Parents)
By the time kids are 3 to 5 years old, their physical skills, like running, jumping, kicking, and throwing, have come a long way. Now they'll continue to refine these skills and build on them to learn more complex ones.
Take advantage of your child's natural tendency to be active. Regular physical activity promotes healthy growth and development and learning new skills builds confidence.
Fitness for Preschoolers
Physical activity guidelines recommend that preschoolers:
- are physically active throughout the day
- move and engage in both active play and structured (adult-led) physical activity
- do activities such as jumping, hopping, and tumbling to strengthen bones
Preschoolers should participate in a variety of fun and challenging physical activities that help build skills and coordination, but aren't beyond their abilities. Preschoolers should be active about 3 hours a day, including light, moderate, and vigorous activities.
Kids this age are learning to hop, skip, and jump forward, and are eager to show off how they can balance on one foot, catch a ball, or do a somersault. Preschoolers also might enjoy swimming, playing on a playground, dancing, and riding a tricycle or bicycle with training wheels.
Many parents look to organized sports to get preschoolers active. But the average preschooler has not mastered the basics, such as throwing, catching, and taking turns. Even simple rules may be hard for them to understand, as any parent who has watched their child run the wrong way during a game knows.
And starting too young can be frustrating for kids and may discourage future participation in sports. So if you decide to sign your preschooler up for soccer or another team sport, be sure to choose a peewee league that focuses on fun and learning the fundamentals.
Family Fitness Tips
Playing together, running in the backyard, or using playground equipment at a local park can be fun for the entire family.
Other activities to try together, or for a group of preschoolers to enjoy, include:
- playing games such as "Duck, Duck, Goose" or "Follow the Leader," then mixing it up with jumping, hopping, and walking backward
- kicking a ball back and forth or into a goal
- hitting a ball off a T-ball stand
- playing freeze dance or freeze tag
Kids can be active even when they're stuck indoors. Designate a safe play area and try some active inside games:
- Treasure hunt: Hide "treasures" throughout the house and provide clues to their locations.
- Obstacle course: Set up an obstacle course with chairs, boxes, and toys for the kids to go over, under, through, and around.
- Soft-ball games: Use soft foam balls to play indoor basketball, bowling, soccer, or catch. You can even use balloons to play volleyball or catch.
When Should I Call the Doctor?
If your child doesn't want to play or join other kids in sports or complains of pain during or after being active, talk with your doctor.
Kids who enjoy sports and exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. And being active can improve learning and attention, prevent obesity, and decrease the risk of serious illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease later in life.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: June 2019
Physical Activities for 3 Year Olds
Want physical activities for 3 year olds to get your child moving? Whether indoors or out, discover 10 simple activities perfect for kids!
How much can this kid read?! I thought to myself. My then-3 year old was and still is a book worm. He’d spend hours either flipping through books or asking me to read to him (I had once timed how long we read in one day, and the total came up to four hours).
If he wasn’t reading, he was inspecting his toy fire truck, building train sets, or coloring and drawing.
All well and good, except I was starting to think that these activities weren’t physical enough.
After all, his pediatrician had recommended that kids should only be sedentary for an hour at a time (other than for sleep).
As much as I wanted to encourage these passions, I also knew the importance of getting physical activity. We didn’t have a convenient backyard for him to run around, and he didn’t have his little brothers to play chase with just yet.
In fact, any time I took him to the park, he preferred to drop acorns in the puddles or dig up dirt, not climb on the jungle gyms.
Physical activities for 3 year olds
If your 3 year old is anything like my son, you might be looking for physical activities she can do as well. Bonus points if the activities don’t need a lot of preparation, time, or bulky items to store. You might even be pregnant or on bed rest and in no condition to be active yourself.
Don’t worry—I gathered several ideas you can try that are simple, fun, and most importantly, gets your child moving! Take a look at these activities, which you can do both at home and outdoors, that you and your 3 year old can enjoy.
Want to watch the video instead? Check it out below:
1. Play with a balloon
Kids love playing with balloons because there’s so much to do with them. If the balloon still has plenty of helium, clip the string to the ground so your child can hit it like a punching bag. She can also hold the string and run with it like a kite throughout the house.
Once the helium wears off and the balloon starts drifting to the ground, remove the string so she can toss it in the air and catch it during its slow descent.
Free printables: Get your copy of the Play Ideas Calendar for tons of play ideas! The first sheet includes ideas for activities, while the second is a blank template to fill with your own. Download it below—at no cost to you. You’ll also get my newsletters, which parents say they LOVE:
“This is something I definitely needed to hear today! Thank you for yanking me back to reality just at the right time! I must say, even though I’m new to your emails, you’ve been a great help already & I am grateful for you!!!” -Heather Jones
2.
Chase bubblesDisclosure: This article contains affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission—at no extra cost to you—if you make a purchase.
Bubbles never get old! Blow bubbles (or get a bubble machine like this one) and have your 3 year old catch and pop them in the air.
3. Play hopscotch
Show your 3 year old the timeless game of hopscotch. If outdoors, use sidewalk chalk to draw the hopscotch pattern on the ground. Use any small, hard object to mark your spots on the ground. If you’re indoors, use painter’s tape on the ground to mark your spots.
Check out these preschool outdoor activities for summer.
4. Ride a trike or scooter
Scooters and trikes are fantastic, toddler-friendly items that kids never bore of. A simple “drive” around the block or at your local park offers your 3 year old plenty of active play. Don’t forget helmets, and even knee- and elbow-pads.
Another option is to simply take a brisk walk around the neighborhood! Play a game of I Spy or a scavenger hunt to make it even more fun.
Get more outdoor activities for 3 year olds.
5. Enroll your child in physical classes
In summers past, I enrolled my kids in swim class not just for the life skills but to be active and make use of the good weather. Besides swimming, other ideas include soccer, dance, gymnastics, martial arts, and little league. The added perk? You get a break while you watch your child in class!
Classes also hold you accountable and are more likely to make sure she gets exercise on a regular basis.
6. Get toys that encourage physical play
Some toys call for more physical play than others. Sure, your child might sit and inspect how it all works, but for the most part, she’ll want to play and be active to enjoy the toy.
A few ideas include:
Ball Pit Play Tent
Balance Buckets
Ring Toss
Pogo Stick
Bouncing Ball
Tip: Don’t want to buy a toy bouncing ball? A small yoga ball makes for a fun alternative.
7. Play fetch or catch
Toss a ball back and forth to each other. If you’re pregnant or not able to move as much, have your 3 year old fetch all the uncaught balls, whether it’s yours to catch or not. This allows her to run even more, and prevents you from having to get too physical yourself.
A similar option you can play outdoors is tossing a Frisbee back and forth. Like playing catch, you can also have her fetch any uncaught Frisbees for added exercise.
8. Dance to music
My kids loved dancing to Just Dance on the Xbox—they even had their favorite songs and choreography. You can also find child-friendly dance videos on YouTube, particularly from the Mother Goose Club.
Want to make it even more fun? Tape bubble packaging to the floor that your child can pop with her feet as she dances to the music.
9. Hop on pillows (or hula hoops) on the floor
Play a game of “lily pad” or “floor is lava” and toss pillows on the floor over a wide area.
Then, have your child pretend the pillows are lily pads with water all around (or rocks surrounded by lava). The game is to hop from pillow to pillow without falling into the water or lava. Simple and easy to set up at home!
Another option is to spread hula hoops around your house and have her hop from hoop to hoop without going outside the circles.
10. Have a play date
With the pandemic in full force, play dates are few and far between these days. But down the line, playing with other kids usually leads to plenty of physical activity.
If your child doesn’t have other siblings to play with (or they’re too young to play with), find a play date with another child her age. Sometimes all kids need is another person their age to play with, whether that’s running around the house or going down the slide at the playground.
Get more activities for 3 year olds.
Conclusion
As simple as these ideas may be, sometimes we forget we have all these options for physical activities at our fingertips.
Having a list can be all the inspiration you need to get your child active, even if the weather is bad outside or you’re not able to move much yourself.
Because as much as I love how often my son read books and tinkered with gadgets, he also needed to be active. And that’s when a good game of bubbles or balloons—the simplest of items—can come in handy.
Get more tips:
- 20 Easy Activities for Three Year Olds You Can Do Any Day
- Play Ideas for Toddlers for the After Work Hours
- 9 Playground Rules You and Your Kids Should Remember
- How to Cope when You’re Bored Playing with Your Kids
- 25 Awesome Outdoor Activities for 3 Year Olds
Don’t forget: Join my newsletter and get your copy of the Play Ideas Calendar:
Complex of exercises for children 1-3 years old
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- Warm-up exercises
- If the child is just learning to walk
- Walking on the "narrow path"
- Walking sideways
- Walking and running at different paces
- Stepping over obstacles
- climbing
- Climbing hide-and-seek
- circus lion
- Exercises for children to strengthen the muscles of the whole body
- fun track
- Wheelbarrow
- Turtle
- General strengthening exercises for the arms and shoulder girdle
- wind a ball
- Helicopter
- Airplane
- General strengthening exercises for the legs
- Seine
- Big small
Contents:
The benefits of physical education for children have long been known, especially since physical education is not just a series of exercises, but a way of life that allows a person to maintain and strengthen his health.
Helping a child's body grow harmoniously through physical exercise is very easy - you just need to actively play with the child.
Warm-up exercises
If the child is just learning to walk
Standing on the floor, the baby holds on to the support. An adult beckons a child with a bright toy. Change the directions of the child’s walking, moving in one direction or the other, stimulating the development of orientation in space. Read more about how to teach a child to walk in this article.
Narrow path walking
First, mark on the floor (at home with ropes, ribbons, scarves, construction kit parts) or asphalt (on the street with chalk or sticks) a path about 30 cm wide. The task of the child is to maintain balance and walk along the path on his own. In the future, the task can be complicated: offer to run, jump on two or one foot, or make the track narrower (20 cm, then 10 cm). You can also walk by stepping on a narrow stick or an elongated scarf twisted into a sausage.
Walking sideways
Invite the child to walk sideways between two sofa cushions or chairs placed back to back. Train the ability to walk with side steps equally well in both directions.
Walking and running at various paces
Together with the child, while saying a rhyme, stamp your feet at a different pace.
"This is how mice run: little legs ran along the path!" (Quickly move your feet in place or run.)
"And so the elephants run: big legs walked along the road!" (You stomp slowly.)
Stepping over obstacles
Arrange objects of different heights on the floor - flat and 10-15 cm high. Under the poem, step over obstacles:
"How tall the grass is,
Now nettles, now sedges,
Raise your feet higher,
After all, you are not going along the road!"
Lasagne
To carry out exercises for preschool children, it is advisable to install a Swedish wall at home or get a ladder. But if this is not possible, you can use the stairs on the playgrounds.
The benches and sides of the sandbox will also become a good simulator: the child stands sideways to the bench, leans on it with his hands and climbs over. Do this on both sides.
Climbing hide and seek
An adult hides a child's toy at a low height, such as on the back of a sofa, in such a way that it is not easily seen. When, after your prompts, the child finds a toy, he must climb onto the sofa to get it. If this is still very difficult for him, build a hill of pillows so that the child can climb onto the sofa by himself.
Circus lion
An adult holds a hoop through which the child must crawl or crawl, like a lion jumping through a fire hoop in a circus.
Exercises for children to strengthen the muscles of the whole body
Fun track
A child crawls on all fours on a bench. It can be a "bridge" across the river or a "magic road" to grandmother. Be sure to insure your child.
Wheelbarrow
The child lies on the floor, rests on his hands.
An adult holds the child by the legs, lifting them from the floor to a height convenient for the child. The child steps forward and backward with his hands.v
Turtle
The child lies on his back with his arms extended along the body. Then he pulls his knees to his chest with his hands and tries to touch his knees with his head. You can swing back and forth in this position - this is a turtle hiding in its shell.
General strengthening exercises for arms and shoulders
Wind the ball
An adult gives a child a ball of thread with a long end and shows how to wind the thread around the ball, making circular movements with brushes.
Helicopter
The child stands straight, arms down at the sides, feet shoulder-width apart. Now we run, making circular movements with straight arms forward-up-back and in the opposite direction.
Aircraft
Under the poem "The plane is flying, and the engine is buzzing:" uuuuuuuuuuuuu "" the child runs with his arms outstretched to the sides, tilting his body to the right, then to the left.
You can do big swings with your hands.
General strengthening exercises for legs
In addition to simple but effective tags and tags, there are other play exercises for preschoolers to help strengthen leg muscles.
Seine
An adult laid out fish on the floor. The child holds with both hands the hoop (our net), which is in the hands of an adult. You need to sit down together, lowering the "net" into the sea in order to catch as many fish as possible. At the same time, you can practice counting.
Large - small
Game of opposites. The child shows how tall the animals that the adult names are. For example, the elephant is big - the child stands with his arms raised high, and the mouse is small - the child squats low. Help the child - get up and sit down with him.
Read also in our article on the physical development of a child at 12 months.
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Gymnastics for children aged 3
At the age of 3, the child is already quite independent.
The kid not only walks, but also runs, jumps, plays, communicates with peers. Nevertheless, almost every boy and girl in this period needs artistic gymnastics , regularly performed in tandem with a competent instructor. Properly selected exercises contribute to the full development, strengthen the nervous system, muscles and improve sleep.
What is included in the complex of exercises?
Best of all, if gymnastics for children 3 years old is carried out under the guidance of a trainer who helps the child do the exercises, insures against possible injuries, creates a comfortable emotional atmosphere that increases the child's interest in classes.
Usually gymnastics for children includes about 7-10 exercises, each of which is repeated at least 8 times. Too many repetitions should not be performed, because. at 3 years old, babies tend to be quite impatient. You need to do at least 30 minutes before meals and not earlier than 2 hours after breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Traditionally gymnastics for children starts with a warm-up. At the next stage, they begin exercises aimed at developing a wide variety of muscle groups in the human body. At 3 years old, push-ups are already quite acceptable (done in a team with an instructor), squats (including the “pistol”), the simplest yoga poses (pose of a plow, candles, snakes, boats, etc.), as well as exercises like "corner", "scissors", "swallows" and many others.
Ending children's gymnastics stretching, breathing and relaxation exercises. The proper restoration of a very young organism must be given special attention. Often, jumping, raising the arms up while inhaling and lowering them while exhaling, throwing small balls against the walls, stretching exercises, etc. are often used for rest and relaxation.
Where to study?
If training at home is not possible, you can sign up at Gymnastics Club , where classes are often held for children 3 years old.
