Ideas for family activities (1-3 years)

Depending on the age of your child, whether they’re 12 months or nearly starting school, there are different ways of getting in a little more activity, that could be big movements or little. Some of them you may even do without realising!

1-3-year-olds

Using your hands:

• building towers / train tracks/ posting toy games/ puzzles / turn taking games/ balloon play- keep in the air/ blowing bubbles- try to pop/ catch/

Keeping moving:

• learning to walk/ run/ climb/ jump/ up and down play – encourage safety on stairs

Music and movement:

• musical instrument play e.g. shakers, tambourine, drum pad, singing, nursery rhymes, moving to music/ dancing / Jiggy Wrigglers YouTube
• Just Dance games

Games:

• Ball pit/ water play (must be supervised)
• Messy play with play doh, rice, pasta, soft play
• Mini obstacle course, parachute play, sensory play, hide and seek

Sporty activities:

• Swimming/ balance bike/ scooter/ learn to ride a bike/ skipping/ stretching/ yoga/ cosmic yoga- YouTube/ hula hooping/ bouncing trampoline/

Imaginative play: 

• Box play
• Post box
• Play tunnels
• Den building, funny walks, bunny hops etc.

Organised sports

• Swimming lessons
• Gymtots classes
• Soccer tots
• Rugby tots

Out and about:

• Visit parks/ playgrounds/ play hide and seek/ outside play- sand pit/ water table/ water painting
• Crayon rubbings/ nature walks/ bug hunts/ sound walk/ colour hunt