I Move We Move - Good For Kids - NSW Government

Active play in group time
Group time is a very important component of a child’s day. It can be useful to help develop
fundamental movement skills, as well as facilitate communication, team work and problem solving
skills. Group times are great opportunities to encourage older toddlers and preschoolers to be
physically active as there are a wide range of activities and games that staff can facilitate in small
or large groups.
Here are some ideas to engage children in physical activity during group time:
• Musical chairs, limbo, “Simon Says”, elastics and, “What’s the time Mr Wolf?”
• Play charades – construct movement charade cards with the children
• Mirror games – children mirror the movement made by the adult, or the movement of
another child (done in pairs)
• Play games such as ‘I can see’, ‘What can you see?’ e.g. ‘I can see a plane flying high and low’,
. . . ‘a tree swaying in the breeze’ . . . ‘a little boat on big waves’. The children perform what the
adult calls out. The children can also take turns calling out ‘I can see’
See The Physical Activity Handbook – Preschoolers (Table 5, page P.10) for more ideas.
Active play verbal prompts
This includes giving encouragement for children's physical activity efforts during free active play, for
example 'Great try, have another go". Also use prompts to challenge, extend activity and improve
skills e.g. "Show me how fast you can run", or "What other things can you leap over?" You can
also encourage movement through imitation of your movements by saying "See if you can balance/
hop/jump like me." All of these types of verbal prompts are useful for encouraging physical activity
during active play 23 .
For more ideas on verbal prompts to support children being physically active see
pages 5.5–7 of Section Five, Learning How To Move.
Be an active role model
To be physically active children need support and guidance from adults. Parents, carers and early
childhood professionals play an important role in forming healthy habits in children. Children learn
through role modelling. To be physically active, they need you to be.
It is important for staff to be active role models by participating in physical experiences such as
games, dancing, action songs and outdoor play. Adult participation in any physical activity increases
the participation rates of children, especially if staff demonstrate that they enjoy and value being
active. This also maximises children's potential learning opportunities.
I Move We Move, The Guide Edition 1 August 2009
AREA HEALTH SERVICE
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