What to Play

When we talk about physical activity, there are two different kinds to keep in mind. But it’s key to let both the grown-ups and the youngsters figure out what to play.

1. Organized, quick, intense activities led by an adult.

Structured physical activity basically means any daily activity led by the teacher, developmentally appropriate, fun, planned and:

supports age-appropriate motor skill development — it should be engaging and involve all children with very little or no waiting
vigorous (in other words, it gets children breathing deeper and faster than during typical activities) for short doses of time (say, 10 minutes)

2. Free play to stimulate creativity and use the imagination.

Unstructured activity is free play that’s led by the child — in other words, when kids are able to play whatever they’d like (dress-up, dolls, cars, and others) in a safe environment.

The playground is a great place for structured child care activities.

Unstructured activity should include:

activities that respect and encourage children’s individual abilities and interests
teacher engagement with children during play, as well as gentle prompts and encouragement by teachers to stay physically active

Keep these things in mind when planning how to get the kids moving:

Get them breathing a bit.

Kids ages 3 and up should do moderate to vigorous physical activity daily:

Moderate levels are at intensities faster than a slow walk, but still allow kids to talk easily.
Vigorous levels like a fast walk, jog, or run make children “breathless” or breathing deeper and faster than during typical activities.

Breathless is OK. As long as children don’t have any health restrictions, being breathless during physical activity is safe and healthy and won’t cause any physical harm. It just means they’re exercising their heart and lungs, along with the muscles in their arms and legs. They’re getting stronger and burning calories which helps them maintain a healthy body weight.

Vary activity intensity based on each child's fitness level.

Vary child care activities based on age groups and fitness level.

Just watch for signs of fatigue or frustration and be ready to switch gears a bit to meet the needs of each individual child. One child may only be a little winded from running across the playground, while another may be totally out of breath from the same activity.

When children get too tired, simply support and encourage them to have fun, re-direct them to a less intense or modified activity, or help them finish the activity, if appropriate.

Keep it different.

Just like with their diet, variety is important. Play the usual:

Duck, Duck, Goose
Musical Chairs
Simon Says
Follow the Leader
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?
Hokey Pokey
London Bridge

But also mix it up with:

a dance party or freeze dance. Line dances (like the Macarena, Alley Cat, etc.) are popular even with young kids and have the added benefit of team building.
an obstacle course or scavenger hunt. Work together as a team to create an obstacle course or a scavenger hunt — inside or outside.
parachute play. Buy one or just use a sheet — have the kids hold up the edges and lift it up and then down, have them pop under and then back.

Encourage working together to come up with games and activities.

This way, they’re less likely to get bored with the monotony of doing the same activities day in and day out. And engaging in a variety of activities gives kids tons of opportunities to work different muscles.

Try to do activities that don't place the focus on competition.