Movement and play: preschoolers

Preschooler play: why it’s important for movement and physical development

Play is one of the main ways that children learn, develop and grow. Play is good for all areas of your preschooler’s development, including his physical or motor skills development.

Playing with your preschooler each day strengthens her muscles and bones and gives her the chance to practise physical skills. It’s also good for your toddler’s confidence, as she tests her abilities and discovers that she can climb higher, run faster and jump further all the time.

And when your preschooler gets lots of physical activity into his day through play, it’s good for his overall health and wellbeing.

Preschoolers need hours of active play every day.  However, this play can range from running and jumping to quieter activities like helping with everyday household tasks and going for walks.

What to expect: preschoolers and movement

Children of this age generally enjoy being active, although different children prefer different types of play and physical activity.

At 3-4 years, your preschooler will probably:

• start to dress on her own
• use scissors quite well
• ride a tricycle by four years and start trying to ride a bike
• jump over small objects and swing independently on the swing
• walk up and down stairs without using a hand rail
• be more coordinated – for example, she might be able to kick a ball using her right or left leg
• be able to stand on one foot for short periods of time (both right and left).

At five years, your preschooler is more coordinated and stronger. You might find your child can:

• hop well on both his left and right foot
• learn to skip
• dress himself without your help
• learn to tie shoe laces
• throw, hit a ball, and bounce and catch a ball.

At this age, your preschooler might want to play organised games with simple rules with other children, but they'll still have difficulty remembering the rules. 

Small bumps and falls are common as your child pushes physical skills to the limit. This is a normal part of how children learn and develop.

If your child doesn’t seem interested in interacting with other children or avoids physically active play, it’s a good idea to talk with your health provider about your child’s development.

Preschoolers with physical disabilities will have different milestones in some areas of their motor skills development.  Your health provider and other professionals will help you support your child's progress.

Play ideas to get your preschooler moving

Here are some play ideas to develop your preschooler’s movement skills – and to help you have fun together!

• Give your preschooler some child-friendly like balls, throwable beanbags.
• Give your preschooler some large cardboard boxes. Your child can climb on top of them, crawl through them and push them around.
• If possible, help your child learn to ride a small bicycle.  Keep safety in mind, of course.
• If possible, make time for outdoor play at a park or playground--or if not, in your own backyard. 
• Listen to music that your child can dance to. You can also learn or make up actions to the songs together. Give your child some fabric to wave and move with the music.
• Go for a nature walk, even close to home. This gets your child moving, and he can also collect leaves, sticks or pebbles for craft or pretend play.

Quiet, gentle activities are just as important for your preschooler’s development as play that’s loud or energetic and encourages bigger movements. For example, preschoolers can practise coordinating the small movements of their fingers through play activities like:

• play with small building toys or puzzle pieces
• playdough play
• drawing, scribbling and writing activities.

Children learn from watching their parents. So if you want your child to be active, it’s good for you to be active too.