There are so many fun ways for children 5 and under to get their bodies moving. Most of these ways can be split up into two groups: large motor activities and fine motor activities.

Large motor activities

These are activities that get the large muscles of the body moving. For example, arms and legs! These types of activities offer benefit for the heart, muscles, bones, and balance! Encourage large motor activities throughout the day.

Example activities:

• Learning to ride a bike, tricycle, or age-appropriate riding toys with wheels.
• Learning to swim and feel comfortable in the water.
• Walking, running, jumping and skipping.
• Catching and throwing a soft ball or foam ball.

Fine motor activities

These are activities that help develop small muscles like muscles in hands. Practicing these activities helps children with hand-eye coordination. Your child may enjoy these activities when they are tired from large motor activities like running or jumping!

Example activities

• Coloring.
• Gluing paper to paper.
• Learning to cut on a line using child-safe scissors.
• Writing and drawing.