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Ready for games

Starting early, and learning to exercise can make children healthy for a lifetime

Getting four-year olds to exercise is never a problem. In fact, getting them to stop is the problem. Exercise is important at this age because kids at this age are at the doorstep of learning complex tasks. They are already adept at the basics of movement, and are ready for a higher level of exercise. Kids introduced to exercise at this age tend to stay active throughout life and that reduces the chances of developing obesity in later life.

Note for parents

Parents beware: Do not mistake complex tasks for complex games. A child at this age is an ideal subject for teaching basic batting and bowling skills and soccer: this involves hand-eye co-ordination, reflexes, anticipation and balance. But a child at this age is not ready to learn the lbw rule. Parents should stay in the background and let the children learn the game at their own pace. It is not a big deal if the child makes a hash of the game's rules. Trying to drum the rules of games into a child who is not mentally ready for them will make the child anxious and can cause a lifelong distaste for the game. Guidelines for four-year olds recommend at least 60 minutes of structured adult-led exercise, and at least 60 minutes of free play. They also recommend that kids should not be inactive for more than an hour at a time unless sleeping.

Fun activities

The activities should be fun, and they should not be intimidating. Activities that involve hopping, skipping, jumping, and riding a tricycle are ideal. This is also a great time to introduce a child to swimming. Children love to make up their own games at this age, and they should be encouraged in this. Adults can increase the intrinsic value of these exercises by including obstacles and by varying the activities. Parents can also incorporate balance into children's games: balancing on a large ball, standing or hopping on one leg. Ensure safety in games. Children at this age should play with soft balls, and they should not play unsupervised in the pool.

RAJIV M

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