Guidelines for Children

Infant Guidelines

• Infants should interact with parents and/or care givers in daily physical activities that are dedicated to promoting the exploration of their environment.
• Infants should be placed in safe settings that facilitate physical activity and do not restrict movement for long periods of time.
• Infants' physical activity should promote the development of motor or movement skills. Help your child work toward a skill such as looking around while on stomach, waving arms and legs while on back, rolling, going from sit to stand, and crawling.
• Infants should have an environment that meets or exceeds safety standards for performing large muscle activities.
• Individuals responsible for the well-being of infants should be aware of the importance of physical activity and facilitate the child's movement skills.

Toddler Guidelines

• Toddlers should accumulate at least 30 minutes of daily structured physical activity.
• Toddlers should engage in at least 60 minutes and up to several hours per day of daily unstructured physical activity and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time, except when sleeping.
• Toddlers should develop movement skills that are building blocks for more complex movement tasks.
• Toddlers should have indoor and outdoor areas that meet or exceed recommended safety standards for performing large muscle activities.
• Individuals responsible for the well-being of toddlers should be aware of the importance of physical activity and facilitate the child's movement skills.

Preschooler Guidelines