Physical Activity Guidelines for Children Under 5

Babies (under 1 years old)

Babies should be encouraged to be active throughout the day. Babies take part in physical activity in a variety of different ways such as crawling.

If your baby is not yet crawling then encourage them to be active by reaching for objects, moving their head, body etc.

Try to encourage 30 minutes of tummy time during the day.

Once your baby is able to crawl/move around then encourage them to be as active as possible.

Toddlers (aged 1-2)

Toddlers should be physically active every day for at least 3 hours. This can include jumping, walking, playing etc.

Active play is the best way for this age group to get active. This could include riding a bike, climbing a climbing frame, ball games, swimming etc.

Pre-schoolers (Aged 3-4)

Pre-schoolers should also spend 3 hours taking part in physical activity throughout the day.

Children under 5 should not be inactive for long periods, unless they are asleep. Long car journeys, being in a pushchair for a long period, watching tv for a long period can have a bad impact on a child's health and development.