Physical activity
Physical activity is important for your child’s movement, skill development and brain development. It can also help your child to stay a healthy weight. Keeping active from a young age can encourage these habits throughout your child’s life.
The Australian recommendations for physical activity over a 24 hour period are:
- Children aged 0 to 1 year: 30 minutes of supervised tummy time, crawling, pulling up to a standing position or walking
- Children aged 1 to 2 years: at least 3 hours doing different physical activities
- Children aged 3 to 5 years: at least 3 hours doing different physical activities. This includes 1 hour of energetic play such as running and jumping throughout the day
Try not to restrain your child for more than 1 hour at a time or have them sit in 1 position for a long time. For example, in a pram or car seat.
Limit your child’s use of baby walkers and baby exercise jumpers. This is because using them too often, in periods of 15 minutes or longer, can delay walking and reduce the time children spend on the floor.
Some ideas on how your child can be active include:
- Tummy time, pull to stand toys or push walkers
- Dancing to music, going for a walk, washing the car or doing some gardening
- Running, chasing or playing outdoors
- Playing with balls, balloons or bubbles
- Enjoying an obstacle course or playing hide-and-seek
- Visiting playgrounds, parks, swimming pool or the beach.
Join Go4Fun - this is a free fun and fitness program for children above a healthy weight.
Join in the Think Eat And Move (TEAM) program – this is a healthy lifestyle program for young people aged 13 – 17 living in the Central and Eastern Sydney areas.
Call the Get Healthy service - this is a free telephone health information and coaching service for people aged 16 years old and above.
Crunch to Health – this is a great guide to healthy eating for children. It has some great recipes to help you create tasty and nutritious meals for your child. You can get a copy from the Kids Health Bookshop
Apply for the Active Kids program. The NSW Government provides two $100 vouchers for parents, guardians and carers of school-enrolled children to use towards sport and active recreation costs each year.
