I Move We Move - Good For Kids - NSW Government

4.1
Promoting physical activity throughout
the day
This section aims to provide ideas to encourage staff to actively create and make use of opportunities
to support and promote physical activity throughout the day. It also aims to make physical activity
fun and enjoyable so that all children will want to participate, by focusing on play-based activities.
Whether it is the way music and movement is explored, the props provided for dramatic play,
how transitions are experienced, the use of active play during group time or water play; the early
childhood setting is alive with opportunities for children to be active.
Ideas to promote physical activity
See the Physical Activity Handbook – Babies (Table 1, page B.2), the Physical
Activity Handbook – Toddlers (Table 1, page T.2), the Physical Activity Handbook
– Preschoolers (Table 1, page P.2) for activities that can be done opportunistically
throughout the day to promote physical activity.
Read on for other ideas that incorporate props, music or water or that can be done during
transitions and group time.
Dramatic play
With appropriate props, dramatic play can contribute to incidental physical activity. Dramatic
play has many developmental benefits for older toddlers and preschoolers including creativity,
imagination, expression, spontaneity. It can also provide opportunities for children to deal with or
work through various emotions. Here are some ideas:
• Use props both indoors and outdoors
• Provide dramatic props that encourage active play such as hobby horses for galloping and boxes
that children can design as cars
• Fixed playground equipment can be transformed into a tent, cubby, cave, or outdoor shelter
• Provide a selection of the ‘home corner’ equipment outside such as clotheslines, wheelie
washing baskets and shopping trolleys. These can extend children’s symbolic and imaginative
play into a more active context
Some other ideas for dramatic play can be seen in the Physical Activity Handbook
– Preschoolers (Table 2, page P.5).
I Move We Move, The Guide Edition 1 August 2009
AREA HEALTH SERVICE