How Physical are your activities with your toddler?

[LucySol]

ok,just curious really.

Do you make sure your lo has plenty of physical excercise/activities during the day? Does it help their sleep do you think? i have a friend who religiously takes her lo for a good walk in the pm to wear her out for bed,just wondering what others think of this?

can you tell i need to get this girl to sleep!

[Roseii]

You always post things I am thinking about Lucy!

I try to at least get DD outdoors at some point, even if it's just in our garden where she pretty much just wants to sit on the swing and play with the buckle!! This week we did tumbletots on Monday so that was 45 mins of very physical activity, yesterday weather was awful but we had friends over (with 15m old toddler so DD played with her) but she didn't leave the house all day so not really any proper physical activity and she slept GREAT (however she was totally shattered from a 3am start so I think she just totally conked out) Today weather is rubbish again so I am taking her to the free museum in town literally just so she can run around!

So I guess at least every other day I try and do something with her that involves her running around.

HTH xxx

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Well, if it would ever stop raining here, I would like to take the kids for a walk every evening after supper...but at least we have the yard for them to run around in, some days they spend 4-6 hours outside! (and on the weeks they are at daycare they get outdoor play most days too) 

[clazzat]

I remember with M I got to the point where we had to go for a walk every day to tire her out physically as well as mentally.  I don't seem to be there with E, but I think some of that is to do with the fact that she is more voluntarily physical - she doesn't stop running, whereas M was quite happy to just sit there.

[speechie]

My LO is very physical, so we need him to get out everyday or else he's climbing the walls. In good weather he's outside 4-6 hours total throughout the day. Sometimes more. Even if it's snowing, we're outside in it. Just not if it's dangerously cold or super soggy. Then I take him to an indoor mall where he can run the length of it to wear him out.
We go for walks, tromps in the woods, out to the beach, sledding in winter, swingset play, gardening/helping with the yardwork, a-visiting at the neighbors ( a bit of a walk around here), walks to the center of town, walks to the firehouse, etc etc.
Had him in gym class and we go to open gym in the winter (sort of an indoor playgroup for when it is frigid out).

To answer your question, yes, we do get a lot of activity, and I find that if he's not had enough during the day, he tends to run around a bit more before/after bath in the evening. I think the outdoors has a natural soporific effect on him!

[Mashi]

From the time DS was cruising at about 10 months I have had to use loads pf physical activity to tire him out.  At 11 months I started chasing him up the stairs about 5-6 times every half hour to tire him out enough for a nap. And that has continued!!  Winter was hard as we don't have a garden (live in an apartment) and was hard to find places to go but basically in the mornings we need a good hour outdoor play with him walking, running, feeding the ducks, chasing birds, climbing at the playground and so on.  If we don't get out in the morning, it does not really affect his morning nap but his night time sleep.  In the afternoon depending on the heat we are out again, same things - playgrounds, running, kicking a ball around etc.  If I don't get him out in the afternoons then DH takes him out after dinner and many times they are gone for a good hour to hour and a half and DH comes home sweating because DS ran the entire time and he had to chase him.  

So same as Cathie has said, my DS is VERY physical.  And yes we run through the mall as well - usually that is our Thursday morning (how regimented am I ) It's not just that he needs the physical activity to sleep but to be happy; he does enjoy being indoors and playing cars and books and so on, but after a very short time the couch cushions are on the floor and we are climbing an obstacle course. He just gets bored if he can't use his body as much as possible!

I have read that the earlier in the day that you can get children outside being physical the more impact it has on their night time sleep - that it is setting a body clock and saying "hey, this is it, the day is starting..." and helps them to settle better at night.  

[hatshetsut]

Granted my DD1 is older (she just turned 4), but I try to get her to do very physical things during the day. I make her run around our house or run stairs. The other day I took her for a jog, she did about half a mile and walked the other half. Abby tired at night is a GOOD thing!

[scucci1979]

I take Madi out mid morning and afternoon for walks or to the park. On colder days, I chase her around the house or schedule some indoor swimming.

I find it that she needs to be tired in order to go down easily.

[lilac83]

I enjoy the outdoors, so Charla and I are outside in the morning and again in the afternoon after nap. I don't know how much it helps her sleep though since we're currently hanging onto nap by the skin of our teeth. Charla's not much of a physical kid if left to her own devices and after about 1 hour outside she's asking to go back inside. However, she loves going for walks and swimming!

[*Becky*]

yes Henry really needs physical exercise. We go out for a walk every day, in all weathers and my neighbours think we are nuts! I especially need to do it in the am if I want him to nap ok. xxx

[~*Nicole*~]

DD is very "on the go" and loves to climb all over the playground across the street. (Yes, I luckily live across from the playground)

On days we just spend in the yard, she is in and out of the house and up and down the stairs, all of her own doing. She has NEVER been content to just sit about. The only thing that gets her to be still for a somewhat extended period of time is TV sadly.

So, I don't know if she NEEDS it to sleep better, but she seems to NEED physical activity regardless, b/c it's her nature!

[anna*]

We try to spend at least an hour a day outside - at the playground, kicking a ball, riding a scooter or balance bike. Some days we'll do that as well as a football class or session at the swimming pool. It's hard work in bad weather, but it's what we aim for. I think that time outdoors is sooooo important (even if it has to be pretty much urban like for us ).