Independent mobility

Tips for supporting your child’s active lifestyle

Adults setting an example of active lifestyles gives children a head start in later life. For example, travelling together by bike or on foot from one place to another supports the development of an active lifestyle in children.
Through their actions and words, adults serve as important role models for children, including in their attitudes towards physical activity. Relationships with physical activity, habits and customs begin to form early in childhood. Studies show that children's physical activity habits begin to take shape as early as age 3.

A child's natural temperament and way of moving also affect how much they move in their everyday life. Active children may naturally accumulate more movement than shy and calm children. It is important to take a child's individual characteristics into account, as excessive pressure to exercise can take away a child's joy and enthusiasm for physical activity. Through play and encouragement, even a more reserved child can become excited, encouraged and lea new skills.

Prohibitions and restrictions often limit children's movement, often unnecessarily. Should children always walk nicely and avoid running? Should climbing or jumping be restricted on the pretext of falling or tripping, when it is natural exercise for children? It is the responsibility of adults to ensure the safety of children, but it is worth considering which prohibitions and restrictions are absolutely necessary for safety and which ones prevent children from moving naturally. Through trial and error, children lea motor skills and lea to recognise the limits of their own bodies.

Tuusula has 55 playgrounds and plenty of other local sports facilities. For example, there are a total of 41 daycare centres and school playgrounds, which are open to everyone for play and exercise outside of operating hours.
Sports centres in municipal centres and many other outdoor sports facilities are freely available and free of charge for joint exercise sessions for the whole family.
Outdoor activities, forest trips and nature trails are important for a child's development. Outdoor activities and exercise in nature in different environments support the development of a child's motor skills and well-being, and naturally increase the amount of exercise they get each day.

This content has been translated using AI