Physical activity is a natural part of a child’s everyday life and development. Bein active should be fun and not always structured or instructed.
Provide places and moments at home and outdoors where your child can test their limits and skills in the company of safe adults.
Your family’s attitude towards physical activity also has a big influence on your child’s interest and attitude towards exercise. When you are physically active or spend time outdoors as a family, you also teach your child that activity is an enjoyable part of daily life.
One way to offer more structured exercise for a young child is to attend activities together. For example, the City’s Sports Services organise a variety of playful exercise activities that you can take part in with your child without prior registration or commitment.
Sports requiring technique
You can start introducing your child to basic exercise skills that require technique, such as cycling, skiing and skating, from an early age.
A light introduction to the sport and its equipment at age 2–3 can make learning easier in the years to come. For example, riding a balance bike as a toddler often makes it easier to learn to ride a bicycle a few years later. Learning to swim before school age will also make your family’s everyday life safer.
Please note, however, that children’s motor skills and capacity to learn new skills vary, and you will need to be patient when guiding the child as they practise. The joy of doing is more important than the skill itself, especially in early childhood.
You can introduce the child to skis when they are a couple of years old. At daycare centres, children usually get to try skating at age 3–4. The actual technical skills in these sports are usually acquired at around age 5–6.
The City organises swimming lesson groups for children from age five onwards. For safety reasons, it is good for your child to get used to being in water safely and learn to swim as early as possible. Always supervise the child by the water, even if the water is very shallow or the child can already swim.
