How active is your child?

brachysira

M runs and jumps constantly, although mostly on the couch and around our tiny living room.  At tennis, which she hates, she runs the length of the court many times.  We are signed up for gymnastics but I'm not sure she'll do the activities.  I feel like we need more exercise options.  What do you do?

ericalee27

DS2 is very very active, plus his 4 year old brother is in the mix (also very very active).  We try to be on the go as much as possible.  Staying at home for a whole day leads to nothing but trouble for us. I work, so both are in daycare during the week.  On the weekends, we usually have several activities planned, trying to make sure some of those activities are outside or good physical play. 

So right now -- We go to a lot of playgrounds, do simple/easy/short hikes in the area, they LOVE to help with yardwork right now, so they help us pick up sticks/leaves while DH and I do other work in the yard, simple play in the yard with soccer balls, football, game of tag, races.  Indoors, we jump on our beds a lot (I don't care and it makes them happy).  DS1 just learned what a jumping jack was, so I seriously randomly tell him to do 20 jumping jacks when he gets punchy. He loves it!   

DS1 plays fall and spring soccer, with practice one night and a game on Saturdays -- we take DS2 with us to both and just let him run wild on the soccer fields.  Come summer, we go to our pool about 5 times a week (all weekend, plus a few weeknights) - I cannot wait for it to reopen!!

Puck1182

DD is very active. She does enjoy just snuggling at times, but she has two speeds: stop and run. I swear she doesn't know how to just walk, but I'm the same way.

Over the weekend she and DH discovered Pocoyo (the English version, narrated by Stephen Fry, it's pretty cute!) and on the show they were having a race. This resulted in DD spending upwards of a half hour straight running laps around our house while repeatedly shouting "Runnin' like Poco-looooooooo!!"

Stuff like that is pretty much the extent of her exercise, she entertains herself by running around pretending to do things. She also likes to "ice skate" and then fall down "like Daisy Wheel" (Doozers) and "fly like Baymax!" She also gets on all fours and hops around like a frog. She's got a good imagination, that one. ;-)

I'm in the opposite boat, and feel like she should be in more structured activities, so I'm planning to see what kinds of classes they offer for toddlers at the Y.

djm31012

We do a Little Gym class on Saturday mornings which DS loves! I would say he participates in about 40% of the circle time activities. He loves the free play and will always try the "skill of the week."  But I have noticed SO much progress in him since we started in September. he now loves to climb the rock wall, swing on the parallel bars and do the low balance beam (still scared of the higher one).  He is SO active. Actually yesterday I took him to a music class and he really was not into it, it was just too slow for him and they just sit in the circle the whole time. His favorite part was going up to get an instrument and then putting it back.

brachysira

In the summer, we love parks and M is an ace at yard work and will pick up sticks for hours.  Now there is snow and it is often too cold to even play outside for a few minutes.  The school psychologist told us to get M practiced at following directions and that we need to be in all the classes...but I am thinking that when tennis ends, we'll opt for gym free time at the community center in the bad neighborhood and then maybe try to do a free outdoor play time at the nature center when it gets a bit warmer.

Sadly, everything is scheduled for 10 AM, so we have to choose.

I would love a free-form scouting thing...  We did a nature class in the fall, but it was mostly a pretty structured hike, which she could probably sort of do now, but could not do then, as she would not stay on the trail or with the group at all.  

I seriously cannot wait for the pool to open myself.  Plus just nicer weather.

tamarar5

DS is the most active body I have ever met.  He is even active in his freaking sleep.  We aren't currently doing anything because winter here is so unpredictable (and we were broke after Christmas), but we are starting swimming lessons in February.  E will love it so very much.

E loves to be outside and doing things, but he doesn't really want to be "guided." He would rather be in the shop with DH, tinkering, but doing his own thing.  He absolutely hates it when I try to interfere, or direct him into doing anything remotely creative. Or constructive.  He much prefers destructive creation.

SLGILL1978

Very active! She is always running, jumping and climbing on everything. When my mom was visiting this summer, she does these yoga stretches and my daughter has been doing them every since on any and every surface available. She just turned 2, so I can't wait to put her into gymnastics or dance classes.