https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:05:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2792198 Sat, 16 Dec 2017 00:27:03 +0000 DesertDreams88 2792198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 22m son gets about 2-4 hours a day - usually 1.5 hours in the morning with grandparents and 2ish hours in the afternoon.... my husband is a saint and takes him when he gets home from work around 3:30 (teacher). </p> <p>Most of the time it is at various parks, and winter is mild here in AZ.<br /> But for summer, we do a lot of time in our pool, friends' pools, splash pads, a local indoor playplace (small fee), the children's museum (membership), the science center (free educator membership), or a big church in the area runs a local "Tot Town" on Mondays (opens their gym, fills it with toys).</p> <p>Around the house, my son likes to roll and unroll the carpet, literally run in circles, go through our various play tunnels incessantly, and jump off our headboard onto our bed repeatedly. We also have, at times, brought the Cozy Coupe inside and "driven" from one end of the house to the other. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2792149 Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:02:37 +0000 codeitall 2792149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mother always told me to pick a house with stairs so I could send the kids running up and down to get the wiggles out. But of course I didn't find one with stairs, so we play a fast-paced hide and seek and run game if he's too wild.</p> <p>We have a similar problem when the air pollution is too bad and they stay inside. I can totally tell that he needs some outside time or I make him chase me in circles or we jump back and forth between the couches and ottoman. Winter is tough all around! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2792145 Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:23:02 +0000 macintosh 2792145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone, you confirmed what I suspected. They do have a pretty large classroom with some open space, but they just don't have enough gross motor activities. Even when they are in the gym, the teachers don't lead an activity, they just sit there while the kids run around with balls (and get wild with each other). </p> <p>Daycare also has a few 3rd party activities that parents can pay extra for - a multi-sport class, a soccer class, and a gymnastics class. He's in the multi-sport class, but it's only an extra 30 minutes per week. More reasons why I can't wait to change daycares...</p> <p>Last night I took DS to Whole Foods right after pick-up and let him push the little cart. He was way too wound up to even do that, he was so badly behaved. At bedtime he was super wiggly putting on pjs so instructed him to "run to the kitchen" and back a few times to get some energy out. It totally helped! My house is really small, so there isn't room to do much else. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2792085 Fri, 15 Dec 2017 10:04:45 +0000 nana87 2792085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think at daycare she gets about 1-2 hours a day--they have "outing" twice, but sometimes it's indoor small group activities like cooking rather than gross motor. But, they also have some opportunities for gross motor during other parts of the day, like dance parties lol.</p> <p>I def notice at home a huuuge difference in her behavior if she isn't getting gross motor play. She's home with me one day/week plus weekends, and since about 2 I've had her in various classes (music, ballet, swim, gymnastics) so that there's an organized time in her schedule for it (otherwise it's hard to get out...), and other days we go to the playground or other play spaces. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791885 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 13:56:47 +0000 PawPrints 2791885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think that's nearly enough. We live in an area where it rains a lot so there's a lot of flexibility in their day to day, but they have indoor play rooms they use if it's just too wet to go outside, and all total they spend roughly 3.5 hours (sometimes more) in one or the other. She's 2y 9m. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791884 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 13:56:33 +0000 snowjewelz 2791884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's tough in the winter! Ugh I hate winter! When it's too cold, and gets dark so early, I know even DCP limits their time outside. Fortunately we do have a big gym that they go to. </p> <p>For this reason I bought a mini trampoline for Christmas with the bar! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791852 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 12:37:58 +0000 gingerbebe 2791852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is 3 and he is at daycare from about 730am to 5pm. They go outside from about 745am to 830am when the school day starts. Then they have outside time from 10-1030am. Then they have outside time again at 2:30pm (lunch is at 11am, naptime is 12-2pm). They have outside time a final time around 4pm until 5pm or when it starts to get dark. Daycare closes at 530pm, so they bring the kids inside at 5pm at the latest and they do quiet activities until pickup. </p> <p>And we STILL think our kids need more run around time! In the summer, we eat dinner and they get booted outside in the yard for another 30-40 minutes before bath. Now that its dark and cold, I admit we take them to the McDonald's with the PlayPlace more often because they can get some extra time to run around after dinner. We definitely notice the days when they don't get to go outside because of rain. By the second day, its like Bonkersville.</p> <p>So, long story short, I feel like they need a LOT of outside time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791767 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 08:23:26 +0000 FaithFertility 2791767@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is at an at home sitter she is 3 and I know they have 45 mins around 10 and 1 hr after nap 2 and at 5 ish when I get her they are out in back porch/yard </p> <p>We try to do dinner then a walk/park/bike ride after but some days it is not going to happen!<br /> Dance parties are a hit too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791764 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 07:41:33 +0000 MsMini 2791764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have super busy/active kids and there is no way an hour would be close to enough. Honestly, for them the more the better, 2 hours would be bare minimum, but they would still be nutty in the evening. The days they are most settled at bedtime are the days we are out are the park for 4+ hours. It’s just not that realistic for every day. As a compromise I try to encourage “heavy work” at home in the evenings and get them “helping” with hauling laundry hampers, carrying bags/boxes of stuff, even moving furniture like out ottoman around the living room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791759 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:29:26 +0000 erinbaderin 2791759@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daycare does an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon unless it’s raining or below -25 (not counting the windchill). I can definitely see the difference in energy on the days when they don’t go outside. 60 minutes does seem low to me - that’s like the bare minimum recommended, isn’t it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791757 Thu, 14 Dec 2017 04:01:56 +0000 MamaCate 2791757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: my DS is 2 (2.5 in January). I am pretty sure they get closer to 2 hours outside per day. 45 minutes in the morning, at least 30 in the afternoon and lunch and snack are outside so they can play once they are done eating. For lunch that adds about 30 minutes. (We leave ina place where you can eat lunch outside year round).</p> <p>The other thing that helps is they go to music for 30 minutes twice a day and that is lots of gross motor Time. They play music and run aliens and pretend to be alligators and who knows what else. Even though it is inside, it is a big open room and they do a lot of movement. Do you have anything like that to help? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791746 Wed, 13 Dec 2017 23:21:26 +0000 Mama Bird 2791746@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it might not be enough, but when it's winter there's not much you can do. Everyone stays in more than they would like and gets a little cabin fever. </p> <p>We've finally hit a better balance with outdoor time this year, but now that it's cold and dark no one wants to play outside. It's definitely taking a toll - way too much energy at bedtime. I'm trying to think of winter as the time to do all the crafts and reading we can't find time for in the summer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-much-gross-motor-time-for-toddlers#post-2791745 Wed, 13 Dec 2017 22:59:49 +0000 macintosh 2791745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is 2.5 and his class gets about an hour of gross motor time at school. 30 minutes in the morning and 30 in the afternoon at 5pm. With the weather getting colder it getting dark before 5, they are staying in a lot more often. They only have a very small room they use as an indoor gym and I’m concerned it’s not enough.</p> <p>I usually pick him up during or right at the end of playtime in the gym and he is always amped up and wild when I’m trying to get him ready to go. He can also be pretty crazy at bedtime.</p> <p>Tonight we went to Chick-fil-a for dinner and DS could not sit still for a moment so I just let him play before he ate. He had a blast for about 30-40 minutes playing with another kid, after which he happily sat down to eat. He was even calm and compliant at bedtime.</p> <p>How much gross motor/outdoor playtime does your LO get at daycare? Do you think 60 minutes is too little? Do you think some kids need more for physical play than others? </p>