 As the weather gets colder and wetter, it's easy to stay indoors and not go outside and maximise the opportunities for physical activity. So now is a good time to remember to try and build the recommended 180 minutes of exercise into the children's day and try to get outside as much as possible each day. The NHS website holds a wealth of information about physical activity levels in babies, toddlers and young children including guidance about encouraging tummy time for young babies and reducing the amount of time babies spend in baby walkers or seats which can delay their ability to sit and walk independently.
Exercise is best if it's fun (then children don’t realise they are doing it).
To tempt them outside why not try some welly mud printing by walking in mud and looking at the imprints they've made in the mud or asking them to then walk onto a roll of paper and guess whose footprint is whose.
 Or why not try our autumn treasure hunt (for older children you could give them points for the more difficult to find objects) and add in some early maths? There are also lots of autumnal outdoor ideas on the Woodland Trust website.
Now is also a good time to plant bulbs ready for the spring.
If you are digging outside that's good exercise too.
 Do try this at home. Enjoy being active together. It's good to join in with your child's active play when you can. Have fun showing them how to do new things like running and hopping. Being active together shows your child that activity is enjoyable.
You're a role model for your child so stay active yourself and try to meet the NHS physical activity guidelines for adults.
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