More About Active Start

Physical activity is essential for healthy child development during the critical first six years of life. The Active Start stage of LTAD addresses these early years.

During the first three years of life, brain growth is extremely rapid. The learning done in early years creates more brain cell connections than in later years. Among its other benefits, physical activity during the Active Start stage:

• Helps children learn to enjoy being active, learn to move efficiently, and improves coordination and balance.
• Creates neural connections across multiple pathways in the brain.
• Enhances development of brain function, coordination, social skills, gross motor skills, emotional development, leadership and imagination.
• Helps children to build confidence and develop positive self-esteem.
• Helps builds strong bones and muscles, improves flexibility, develops good posture, improves fitness, promotes a health body weight, reduces stress, and improves sleep

Tips for parents, caregivers and teachers

At this age, physical activity should always be fun and part of the child’s daily life, not a worrisome task they are “required” to do. Active play in a safe and stimulating environment is the best way to keep children physically active.

It’s not enough to hope that children will discover activity by themselves. Parents need to model activity for their children, and they must participate in the activity with them. Play should be informal and unstructured. 

Children with disabilities

Organized physical activity and active play are particularly important for children with disabilities. Active play promotes healthy development, along with skills and habits for lifelong activity.

>> Learn more about LTAD for persons with disabilities

>> Learn more about activities for Active Start

>> Learn about the next stage of LTAD: FUNdamental