Indoor Activities to Burn Energy: Brain Breaks for Toddlers and Preschoolers

It's raining, the park is closed, and there's a small person running laps of the sofa. Young children are made to move, and when they can't get outside, the energy has to go somewhere. Here are simple ways to burn it off indoors, in a small space, with nothing to buy.

How much movement young children need

The World Health Organization recommends that children aged 1 to 4 spend at least 180 minutes a day being physically active, at any intensity. From age 3, at least 60 of those minutes should be energetic: running, jumping, dancing. That sounds like a lot, but it adds up across the day, and short bursts count.

Why short movement breaks help

Teachers call them brain breaks: a few minutes of movement between periods of sitting still. In a classroom study, children were more on task after 10-minute activity breaks, and a review of many school studies found similar results. Those studies were with primary-school children (about 5 to 12), but the idea works at home too: a quick burst of movement before a meal, a car trip or a quiet activity can make the next part of the day easier.

Ten indoor energy burners

1. Freeze dance. Play music, dance, and freeze when it stops.
2. Animal walks. Hop like a frog, stomp like an elephant, crawl like a bear, waddle like a penguin.
3. The floor is lava. Cushions become stepping stones across the room.
4. Follow the beat. Slow claps mean walk, fast claps mean run on the spot, silence means stop.
5. Star jumps and rocket launches. Crouch down, count "3, 2, 1", and blast off.
6. Balloon keepy-uppy. Keep a balloon in the air with hands, heads and feet.
7. Pillow obstacle course. Over the cushion, under the table, around the chair.
8. Flamingo challenge. Stand on one leg: how long can you balance? Now the other leg.
9. Simon says. Touch your toes, reach for the sky, spin around.
10. Animal yoga. Stretch like a cat, roar like a lion, sit still like a frog.

Move together

Children keep going longer, and have more fun, when a grown-up joins in. You'll get some exercise too.

End calm

Finish every burst with a cool-down: a big stretch, then three slow breaths. It helps children shift from wild to calm before the next thing in the day.

By age

• 2 to 3: animal walks, dancing, chasing bubbles, climbing on cushions.
• 4 to 5: freeze dance, obstacle courses, balancing, star jumps.
• 6 to 7: longer dance routines, keepy-uppy challenges, making up their own games.

Clear a safe space first: move anything breakable, and keep the floor free of things to trip on.