Exercises for 3 to 4 Year Olds
Three and four year olds build balance and coordination the same way they build vocabulary, by practicing it constantly in play. These are six of the movements our pediatric therapists reach for most often with this age group, filmed so you can see what good form actually looks like before you try it on the living room floor. They are general ideas for active play at home, not a therapy plan written for your child.
Watch it once, then play it together.
Preschoolers copy far better than they follow instructions. Play the clip, do it beside them, and let the silliness carry it. Stop whenever your child is done, and skip anything that hurts or that a doctor has told you to avoid.
Balancing on one foot
Standing on one foot is the foundation for stairs, for kicking a ball, and for stepping over a toy without going down with it. Watch for a level pelvis and a soft knee, and let your child start with a hand on the wall or in yours.
1/2 Kneeling Stretch
Half kneeling opens the front of the hip on the back leg while the trunk has to stay tall on its own. Watch that the back knee stays under the hip and the shoulders stay stacked over the pelvis instead of drifting forward.
Supergirl
Lying on the tummy and lifting the arms and legs works the muscles down the back of the body, the ones that hold a child upright at a table and steady on a scooter. Watch for the chest lifting with the arms and a long neck, not a chin tipped back.
Balancing on one leg with a game
Turning balance into a game gives a child a reason to hold the position longer than they ever would on request. Watch for the standing hip staying steady while the eyes and hands are busy somewhere else, which is what balance has to do in real life.
Crab walk to improve core strength
Crab walking loads the shoulders, arms and deep trunk muscles at once and asks the two sides of the body to take turns. Watch for hips that stay lifted rather than dragging along the floor, and expect this one to be short at first.
Animal Yoga
Animal poses hand a child a whole vocabulary of positions to move through, which builds strength, balance and body awareness without ever feeling like exercise. Watch for slow transitions between poses instead of a rush from one shape to the next.
General ideas, not a personal program.
These videos exist so families have something to reach for on a rainy afternoon. They are not tailored to any one child, and they are not a substitute for a plan. Your child's home program should come from the therapist who has evaluated them, because it has to account for how your child moves, what they are working on, and anything a physician has flagged. If your child has a diagnosis, a recent injury, or a medical condition, check with your pediatrician or therapist before trying these at home.
More movement ideas, sorted by age.
If your child is already handling these easily, the older sets ask for more balance, more timing and more endurance. Single exercises from our school age home program are broken out one per page.
Wondering whether your child is where they should be? A licensed pediatric therapist can tell you after an evaluation. Call us at (914) 939-6400 →