Little Ones

How Active Should Toddlers and Preschoolers Be?

October 3, 2026 · 4 min read · Kids & Family

Two children running and laughing across a sunny park

Young children seem to never stop moving — so do they really need guidelines? The answer is yes, because modern life quietly reduces movement: car seats, pushchairs, high chairs and screens all add up. The good news is that for little ones, “exercise” simply means play.

The guidelines

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years were developed from systematic reviews of the evidence and look at the whole day — movement, sitting, screens and sleep — together (Tremblay et al., 2017). The World Health Organization’s guidelines for under-5s take a very similar approach.

Age	Physical activity	Sitting and screens	Sleep (including naps)
Toddlers, 1–2 years	At least 180 minutes a day of any intensity, spread through the day — more is better	Not restrained for more than 1 hour at a time. Under 2: no screen time. Age 2: no more than 1 hour	11–14 hours
Preschoolers, 3–4 years	At least 180 minutes, including at least 60 minutes of energetic play	Not restrained for more than 1 hour at a time. No more than 1 hour of screen time — less is better	10–13 hours

For babies under 1, follow the advice of your doctor or health visitor.

Minimum daily active play

Toddlers (1–2): any intensity180 min

Preschoolers (3–4): total180 min

Preschoolers: of which energetic60 min

Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (Tremblay et al., 2017).

View as table

Item	min
Toddlers (1–2): any intensity	180
Preschoolers (3–4): total	180
Preschoolers: of which energetic	60

What counts?

Almost everything that isn’t sitting still:

Light activity: walking around the house, standing and playing, pottering in the garden, tidying up toys.
Energetic play: running, chasing, jumping, climbing, dancing, riding a balance bike, splashing in the pool — anything that makes them breathe harder and get warm.

Three hours sounds like a lot, but it’s spread across a whole waking day of 11 hours or more. A morning at the park, a dance in the kitchen and a walk to the shops quickly add up.

Why it matters

A systematic review of studies in children aged 0–4 found that physical activity was associated with better motor development, fitness, bone and skeletal health and cardiometabolic health (Carson et al., 2017). The evidence quality was mostly low to moderate, as is typical for very young children — but the direction was consistent, and there was little sign of harm from more activity.

Ideas by age

Age	Try
1–2 years	Pushing a walker toy, crawling through tunnels, stacking and knocking down blocks, dancing to music, walking with help
2–3 years	Kicking and chasing a big ball, climbing low frames, jumping off a low step, splashing in puddles, follow-the-leader
3–4 years	Balance bikes, hopping and skipping games, obstacle courses, catching big soft balls, hide and seek

See our indoor game ideas for rainy days and outdoor play ideas for park trips.

Small changes that add up

Walk part of the way instead of using the pushchair for every trip.
Limit long stretches in car seats and high chairs — the guidelines suggest no more than an hour at a time.
Make chores active: carrying the shopping bag, watering plants, posting letters.
Play with them. Children are more active when adults join in.

A sample active day for a 3-year-old

Time	Activity	Minutes
Morning	Walk to nursery, playing on the way	20
Nursery	Outdoor play and music and movement	90
After pick-up	Park: climbing, running, swings	40
Before dinner	Dancing in the kitchen	10
Through the day	Moving around while playing	30+
Total		190+

That meets the 180-minute guideline, with plenty of energetic play (Tremblay et al., 2017).

When the day is mostly indoors

Turn routines into games: race to put shoes on, hop to the bath.
Set up a corner for movement: a cushion pile, a tunnel, a tape line on the floor.
Put on music while you tidy up together.
Try our 15 indoor active games.

Skills to look out for

Around age	Common movement skills
1–2	Walking, climbing onto furniture, pushing toys, squatting to pick things up
2–3	Running, jumping with both feet, kicking a ball, climbing stairs
3–4	Pedalling, hopping, catching a big ball, balancing briefly on one foot
4–5	Skipping, hopping on one foot, climbing confidently, throwing overarm

Every child develops at their own pace. If you have concerns about your child’s movement, talk to your health visitor or doctor.

FAQ

My child goes to nursery. Does that count? Yes — activity at nursery or daycare counts. Ask what an average day looks like.

What about a child who prefers quiet play? That’s fine. Offer active options they enjoy, and make movement playful rather than a chore.

My child has a disability or developmental delay. The principles still apply; your child’s health team can suggest suitable activities.

The bottom line

Toddlers and preschoolers need about three hours of movement a day, spread across the day, with preschoolers getting an hour of energetic play. Think play, not exercise — and join in.

Sources

Tremblay MS et al. (2017). Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (0–4 years): an integration of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. BMC Public Health. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4859-6
Carson V et al. (2017). Systematic review of the relationships between physical activity and health indicators in the early years (0–4 years). BMC Public Health. doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4860-0

This article is general education for healthy adults, not medical advice. Check with a qualified professional before starting a new exercise or nutrition plan, especially if you have a medical condition. Full disclaimer.