BLOG: 5 reasons why you’ll feel better for joining our Early Years Wales Toddle Waddle programme

The UK Chief Medical Officer’s Physical Activity Guidelines, 2019 state that babies and children are not designed to be sedentary and need at least three hours of unstructured movement every day.

Parents/carers are a child’s first teacher and engaging with them to support to play outside of a childcare setting provides many benefits all round.

Family is a vital social facilitator influencing the way in which a child thinks, develops, and behaves; the opportunities children are presented with will shape the way they think for life, so shaping physical development and play in the outdoors is vital if we are to set good neural pathway development.

This has become even more important during the pandemic, so how can we empower families to support their children in this vital area? Research suggests that although the parents’ willingness to invest time in their child’s activities is a contributor, there are other factors that may be beyond the parents’ control, this can very much depend on parents’ attitudes and beliefs on the benefits of outdoor play as well as location, gender, family size, and adult encouragement. This can also be shaped by the experiences the adult may have had as a child themselves.

Currently, physical activity is sadly lacking in many children’s lives so how can we inspire the next generation of children and parents to become more active?

1 - The benefits of running for young children are:

• Development of their self-confidence – ‘That I can attitude’
• Establishing good habits for being active so they will continue to be active throughout the rest of their childhood and beyond.
• Enjoying having the right opportunities whilst young will help them look forward to participation in physical activity

2 - Health benefits

Being physically active outdoors can help with the development of

• Motor skills e.g. balance, coordination
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Strong bones, muscles, and heart

3 - The benefits in families running together are wide-ranging and include:

• Positive relationships between the child and adult
• Improved communication between the parent and child, providing the parent with the skills and confidence to support their child’s physical and wellbeing
• Children do better educationally when parents are involved in their early years, setting patterns for the future
• It supports the community by building relationships and creating a sense of partnership. Helping parents with their own learning by demonstrating enjoyment for things they may have not experienced themselves
• Sharing a talent together gives both parent and child an opportunity to have a central role together and helps them understand each other

4 - Other benefits children gain from being physically active outdoors, including some you may not have even thought about;

• Greater exposure to bright light, which enhances health and mental performance.
• Increased activity levels, and greater freedom to run, jump, and climb.
• Opportunities for hands-on learning about physical forces and concepts.
• Reduced stress levels, better moods, and improved concentration.
• More naturally attuned sleep rhythms.
• Enhanced opportunities to learn social skills, overcome fears, and develop a lifelong connection with nature; and
• A reduced risk of myopia, or near-sightedness.

5 – Did we mention it’s FREE!!

Here’s a taster of what you can expect from the sessions…

• Parents will understand the impact that Physical Literacy has on early development and the importance of community in supporting well-being
• Parents will be supported with activities and ideas to enable them & their child to take part in the Cardiff Half Toddler Dash
• Lots & lots of fun
• Over the 4-week programme you will gradually see an improvement in not only your physical fitness but the physical development of your toddler