Young children love to be active! The earlier you encourage active play, the more likely they will create strong healthy habits that they can carry into adulthood.

Speak positively about movement and be a role model for healthy behaviours. Research shows that if parents are physically active, there is a higher chance their child will also be physically active.

Children don’t always do what you say, but they often follow what you do.

When selecting equipment or toys for your child, select items that encourage movement. This could include equipment such as balls, skipping ropes, hula hoops, or frisbees.

Make equipment such as balls easily accessible to children. When equipment is readily available, children are more likely to pick it up, use it and be active.

For indoor activities:

• have equipment visible, such as soft balls and buckets inside for throwing games
• have a speaker ready in the lounge room for a dance party
• remove chairs around craft or activity tables to encourage movement and reduce sedentary time.

For outdoor activities:

• have a box of equipment near the front door such as cricket bats or soccer balls
• have comfortable shoes for your young child or have them visible for older children. When children feel more comfortable, they tend to move more often. 

Enrol your child in an organised sport or an activity that they enjoy, such as soccer, basketball, or dance. This can help them stay active, develop new skills and make new friends. 

If one child is already enrolled in organised sport, use the time to be active with your other children. 

See Organised sport for more information.

Planning active family time is a great way to spend quality time with your child whilst also increasing physical activity. You can consider activities such as:

• walking to the playground
• playing a game of soccer or frisbee in the park or backyard
• going for a bike ride
• dancing to your favourite music.

When going out and about consider:

• taking public transport to encourage extra steps to and from bus stops or stations
• parking further away from your destination and walking to add some extra daily steps
• bringing small active toys or equipment with you.

Let your children decide how they want to be physically active. This gives them a sense of control, which can increase their motivation and engagement. This way, they are also more likely to enjoy it.  

Follow your child’s lead. If your child wants to play hide and seek out the back and then it turns into knights chasing dragons, let their imagination run wild. Sometimes, children need a bit of wiggle room for creative freedom. 

Movement can come in any form. Children will likely seek out games and movement if they are entertaining and engaging.

Get creative with movement opportunities and tailor games or activities to children’s interests to increase engagement. Not all physical activity needs to be structured. 

Movement is an opportunity for children to grow. By making it into a consequence of unwanted behaviour, there is a risk of the child developing an unhealthy relationship with physical activity.