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Toddlers and Physical Activity
An Expert Answers Parents' Most Common Questions
By Rae Pica, Children's Physical Activity Specialist
Yes! Parents often worry that if they're not facilitating their children's play, or playing with them, their children won't be learning anything important. But children who play on their own learn to solve problems, negotiate, resolve conflicts and discover their strengths and weaknesses. They get to experiment, take calculated risks and test themselves. Play is the only arena in which a young child gets to be in control, which helps him learn to be self-sufficient and independent. So while you certainly want to play with your child sometimes, you also want to ensure he has plenty of chances for self-directed play!
Absolutely! When a child is placed in organized sports for which she isn't developmentally ready – physically, socially, emotionally or cognitively – she's at risk for injury, failure and disappointment, any or all of which can lead to a lifelong distaste for physical activity! And, trust me, a toddler is not ready – in any of the developmental domains – for competitive, or even noncompetitive, organized sports. The experts recommend you wait until she's 6 or, better still, 8 before enrolling her. And even then it should be her choice!
