Physical activity for children is any activity that increase their heart rate, uses their muscles and get them breathing a bit heavier. The Australian Government has guidelines for optimal physical activity levels for children. Put simply the guidelines state children aged over five years should try and:

1. Get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day and several hours of light physical activity
2. Limit sedentary time – break up long periods of sitting and limit screen time

This means encouraging your children to get up and move throughout the day in lots of different ways, rather than sitting for long periods of time.

Ideas for vigorous activity

• Sports, sports training and active recreation like dancing and swimming
• Exercise circuits
• Use equipment like bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller blades, pogo sticks, trampolines
• Running and walking
• Playing chasing games
• Bushwalking or mountain bike riding

Ideas for light physical activity

• Throw a frisbee, kick the footie, fly a kite
• Draw a hopscotch on the footpath and challenge each other to a game
• Play in the playground
• Walk or ride for transport
• Wrestle in your loungeroom
• Create an indoor or outdoor obstacle course
• Be creative and keep it simple and fun

Using screen time to be active

• Use a digital map to plan your walk or ride
• Plan, practice and then film a dance routine or act out a play
• Film your child learning a new skill like riding a bike, hopping or basketball trick shots
• Online workouts and exercise classes via you tube like Go Noodle

Sneaky ways to be active

• Choose the farthest car park from the door
• Walk for transport and encourage walking or riding to school/kindergarten
• Choose active adventures like the zoo, playground, beach, bushwalks
• Play active games like hide and seek, chasey, kite flying, bobs and statues

For more ideas try Raising Children, VicHealth or Nature Play WA