Physical Activity for Toddlers: An Ultimate Guide for Moms

Do you notice a complete difference in the way your toddler behaves when they can get outside and play vs when they are stuck inside? My toddlers always seem to have a better attitude and listen better when they can get outside and run some energy off. Physical activity for toddlers is so important! And it does not have to be just outside, there are plenty of ways to get moving inside! Here are a few of my favorite ways to get my toddlers to do some physical activity.

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What are the Benefits of Physical Activity for Toddlers?

The benefits of physical activities for toddlers are immense. Here are just a few of the known benefits:

• Improve cardiovascular health
• Develop strong bones and muscles
• Better sleep
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Reduces the risk of developing health conditions down the road

How Much Physical Activity is Recommended for Toddlers?

Per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) your toddler needs to be active for about 3 plus hours per day (this can be spread throughout the day). This sounds like so much, but when you think about how your toddler wakes up at 6 am and doesn’t go to bed until 7 pm you have a lot of time to squeeze in 3+ hours of physical activity.

You do not have to have 3 hours of structured physical activity either. You can have dance parties, chase each other around the house, play active games such as Simon says, or even practice jumping. Just little ways to get your toddler up and moving so they aren’t just sitting sedentary all day long.

Summer Physical Activities for Toddlers

Splash Pads– We love going to the splash pads! Our area has multiple free and low-cost splash pads. We go for a couple of hours and the kids run through the water. It keeps us cool in the hot afternoon sun and allows the kids to do physical activity. Another thing I love about public splash pads is there is no standing water. You still want to supervise your children very closely, but it gives an anxious mama a little bit of ease. 

If your city does not have public splash pads, you can purchase one on Amazon for your backyard! This one has great reviews. We pull ours out most afternoons in the summer!

Go to the Pool– This is another great way to stay cool during the summer, but allow your kids to get some physical activity. This one is tricky when you have multiple toddlers/kids. I will only go to the pool if there is one adult for each toddler. So if you are a stay-at-home mom and feel the same way, maybe a small blow-up pool in your backyard could be the answer! We have one we got from Sam’s Club and love it. This one is similar with good reviews. I love that there is a bench for me to sit on. So I can actively be in the water while my toddlers are playing.

Spend Mornings at the Park– The afternoon heat in the summer is too much to bear without doing some kind of water activity. We make it a habit to get up early and go to the park in the mornings during the summer! The park is a fun physical activity for toddlers and can help them develop climbing skills, walk across different terrains, and allow them to meet new friends.

Workout Videos– When it is too hot in the summer, we pull up toddler workout/dance videos on YouTube and let our kids do a 15-minute workout video. We try not to use too much screen time, but this is a great way for them to be active while the screen is on. We use Pregnancy and Postpartum TV and GVO Kids for workout videos.

Fall Physical Activities for Toddlers

During the fall, especially in the beginning, it can be too hot to spend many afternoons outside, but not quite hot enough to do water activities. Thankfully our backyard is mostly shaded in the afternoons so we try to stay where the shade is.

Outdoor Sports– We have multiple sports activity sets in our backyard to encourage physical activity. My toddlers really love playing sports! We have this Little Tikes T Ball set, this Little Tikes Basketball Set, and a soccer goal set. (I can’t find our exact goal, it is a Franklin brand though). Sports physical activities for toddlers helps with their hand-eye coordination and allows the parents to be able to join in!

Water Table– It can still be warm enough in the fall to want to include a little bit of water activity. This is our favorite water table, and it’s perfect for warm fall afternoons! When the kids need a little bit of water to keep them cool, but not enough to jump into.

Physical Activities for the Winter

I know the winter can be miserable, it is so cold and it is hard to want to get outside. We may not spend all afternoon outside, but we definitely bundle up and do some small physical activities outside!

Go to the Park– This one is great because you aren’t dripping sweat the whole time you are outside.

Go for a Walk– One of our favorite physical activities to do in the winter. My toddlers have these scooters so they’ll ride their scooters on a walk. They are 3-wheel scooters and perfect for toddlers.

If it is too cold to go for a walk outside, one of my favorite mom hacks is to load my kids up and go to the mall before the stores open. Most malls will open an hour before the stores do for people who want to walk. We go when the mall is not crowded and we walk around the mall together! That way our toddlers are still getting physical activity in, without us being stuck in the cold.

Get a Bounce House– This is one of my biggest flexes as a mom. I got my toddlers a bounce house that fits in the living room or garage. So on days that it is way too cold or rainy to go outside, we blow up the bounce house so the kids can jump, get energy out, and do physical exercise. This bounce house is the first one we ever got and we love it! As our kids have gotten older we’ve had to get a bigger one.

Toddler Physical Activities for the Spring

You know the saying “April showers brings May flowers”? Well the spring can be a very rainy season which can inhibit physical activity for your toddlers. It can be hard to find things to do to keep them active when it is pouring rain. Here’s a few things I do to promote physical activity for toddlers:

Ride Bikes and Scooters in the Garage– When it is raining, I will pull my car into the driveway so my kids have the whole garage to ride around and run around in. We have balance bikes, bikes with training wheels, and scooters. We also have a basketball the kids love to practice dribbling. 

Jump in Rain Puddles– If it is only sprinkling or when the rain showers have stopped we go for a walk and jump in rain puddles. This is a messy physical activity, but so much fun to watch the joy in your toddler’s face when they jump in a puddle!

Go to Your Local Library– I know this sounds crazy, but check out your local library! Our local libraries do music and movement classes throughout the week! I can take my toddlers and they get to sing and dance for 30 minutes with other kids. 

Physical activity for toddlers is so important and a great way to instill a love of physical activity as they get older. There are plenty of ways to get your toddlers active without having to do something structured. If you need help finding good physical activities for your toddlers, definitely try one of the activities listed in this blog.

What types of physical activities do you do with your toddler? I’d love to add more to my list, let me know in the comments!

Check out my blog post Everything You Need to Know About Quiet Time For Toddlers, especially if your toddler is starting to refuse naps after all of this physical activity!