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Free Activities on Physical Development for Kids

Formulating a balanced and positive approach to the physical development of a child includes attention to nutrition, the five senses, social and emotional health and fitness. In addition to a cardiovascular component, locomotor movements are essential to a well-rounded approach. Basic locomotor movements include running, walking, hopping, jumping, skipping, leaping and sliding. The following ideas provide activities that offer a variety of movement and exercise.

  1. Individual Activities

    • Fitness stations are a fun way to incorporate different types of physical activities for kids. The idea behind them is to rotate through different activities on a signal and experience a variety of movement. The younger the child is, the fewer the stations you'll need to set up. Constructing fitness stations can be as simple as setting up equipment in different corners of an area: Corner one could have a hula hoop; corner two, a jump rope; corner three, a giant bouncy ball; and corner four, a balloon. On a signal (a clap, word, phrase or whistle), a child would use the equipment at the particular station for a given amount of time (one to three minutes), then, on the next signal, rotate to the next corner and the new piece of equipment. Station activities can also be done with locomotor movements, sports skills and active toys.

    Cooperative Activities

    • Tag games are simple and fun and can be structured to meet many physical development goals. Vary the movements in a simple game of tag or offer a variety of exercise options in order to reenter the game after being tagged. Mosquito tag is an example. It uses swimming noodles (cut in half so they are two feet or so in length) or foam pipe insulator (available at home-improvement and hardware stores). Kids hold the noodle on their forehead and try to tag one another on the arm or back. When someone gets tagged, she does jumping jacks and shouts, "Help! Help!" until another participant runs a circle around her, releasing her back into the game. Incorporate locomotor skills by having both the taggers and the other kids move around using a specific locomotor movement.

    Family Activities

    • An important factor in the physical development of kids is finding activities they enjoy and often don't realize are traditional exercises. Family activities such as walking and hiking, bowling, wall climbing (at a center or perhaps a playground), roller skating and in-line skating, dancing, and swimming can be inexpensive and beneficial at the same time. Kids will also enjoy participating in fitness when their parents and siblings are included, reinforcing the notion that exercise is a time for fun instead of a chore or responsibility.

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