Component 1: Health and Safety Practices
Learning Goal 1.a: Children engage in structured and unstructured physical activity.
By 9 months, most children:
- Sustain physical activity for at least three to five minutes at a time
- Participate in simple movement games with an adult (e.g., following a moving object or person with their eyes or body)
By 18 months, most children:
- Participate in active physical play with an adult
- Watch and often run when they see older children running
- Attempt to try new games and toys
- Stand with feet wide apart and sway to the sound of music
By 24 months, most children:
- Wield larger toys with some accuracy (e.g., pounding on a pegboard and pegs or on a pounding board
- Back into a chair to sit down
- Squat while playing
- Carry a large toy while walking or playing
- Run after older children who are running
By 36 months, most children:
- Sustain physical activity for at least 15 minutes at a time for at least 30 minutes total each day
- Participate in outdoor play
- Try new games and toys without assistance
- Actively participate in games and dances
By 48 months, most children:
- Carry bags or objects over short distances
- Practice kicking, throwing, and running
By 60 months, most children:
- Increase their amount of play and activity, using more muscles and for longer periods of time (i.e., at least 60 minutes total each day)
