By the Babbez team · Play & activities · HHS activity guidelines checked October 2026
Gross motor activities for toddlers are whole-body games: running, jumping, throwing, kicking, crawling, climbing and dancing. The 20 moves below need only a floor, a hallway, a yard or a park and things from home. For ages 3 through 5 years, HHS guidelines say children should be physically active throughout the day to enhance growth and development.
Key takeaways
- Where: 14 moves work indoors (9 on the floor, 5 in a hallway) and 6 outdoors; 5 need no gear from home and 3 need only painter's tape.
- When: our Three-Block Rule, three short planned blocks a day; in our sample week the planned blocks add up to 15 to 30 minutes a day (our suggestion, not a health target; anchors, not the whole day's play).
What are gross motor activities for toddlers?
They are play that moves the whole body: running, jumping, throwing, kicking, crawling, climbing, rolling, pushing and dancing. Gross motor play isn't a class or a kit: what decides today's move is the space you have, the gear in the cupboard and the minutes before the next meal or nap.
How much active play does a toddler need?
The honest answer depends on age, because the 2018 HHS guidelines are designed for those ages 3 years and older. The children's chapter of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans gives guidance for children and adolescents 3 through 17 years old, and the advisory committee behind it did not review evidence for children younger than age 3 years.
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, from HHS (2018), the key guidelines for preschool-aged children are:
- Preschool-aged children (ages 3 through 5 years) should be physically active throughout the day to enhance growth and development.
- Adult caregivers of preschool-aged children should encourage active play that includes a variety of activity types.
On amount, the guidelines say that, for ages 3 through 5, although the specific amount of activity needed to improve bone health and avoid excess fat in young children is not well defined, a reasonable target may be 3 hours per day of activity of all intensities: light, moderate, or vigorous intensity. This is the average amount of activity observed among children of this age.
That figure isn't a workout target. For preschool-aged children, activity of any intensity counts, including light intensity, so a slow walk along a tape line counts, not just a race across the yard.
The Move Your Way® campaign fact sheet for parents from ODPHP is broader: under the heading My kids are younger than 6, it says to aim to keep them moving 3 hours a day, and more is better. It gives no separate amount for children younger than 3.
Which gross motor activities can you set up at home?
The Space-Gear Map below sorts 20 moves by the space they need, gear from home, our suggested minutes and the main movement. It also matches each move to the closest example in Table 3-1 of the guidelines, using its preschool-aged column. Floor means a clear patch about 6 by 6 ft (about 1.8 by 1.8 m); hallway means a clear run about 10 ft (about 3 m) long.
| Move and set-up | Space | Gear from home | Minutes | Movement | Closest HHS example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal walks: Call out bear, crab or frog and move like it across the floor | Floor | None | 5 | Crawling on hands and feet, frog jumps | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing; Bone: hopping, skipping, jumping |
| Freeze dance: Play a song; dance, and freeze when it stops | Floor | A song to play | 5 | Dancing, stopping on cue | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing |
| Tape jump lines: Two tape lines 12 inches (about 30 cm) apart; jump from one to the other, then widen the gap | Floor | Painter's tape | 5 | Two-foot jumps | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing; Bone: hopping, skipping, jumping |
| Sock-ball toss: Roll socks into balls and throw them into a laundry basket 36 inches (about 91 cm) away | Floor | Socks, laundry basket | 10 | Throwing | Aerobic: playing games that require catching, throwing, and kicking |
| Cushion mountain: Pile sofa cushions and pillows on the floor; crawl up and over | Floor | Sofa cushions, pillows | 10 | Crawling, climbing over | No Table 3-1 example (our match) |
| Box tunnel: Open both ends of a box at least 18 inches (about 46 cm) wide; crawl through | Floor | Large cardboard box | 10 | Crawling | No Table 3-1 example (our match) |
| Towel tug of war: Each hold one end of a bath towel and pull | Floor | Bath towel | 5 | Pulling | Muscle: games such as tug of war |
| Log roll: Lie on a blanket and roll like a log to the end and back | Floor | Blanket | 5 | Rolling | Aerobic: gymnastics or tumbling |
| Towel jump: Roll a bath towel into a log about 4 inches (about 10 cm) high; step or jump over it | Floor | Bath towel | 5 | Stepping over, jumping | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing; Bone: hopping, skipping, jumping |
| Tape tightrope: A tape line down the hall; walk it forward, sideways, then backward | Hallway | Painter's tape | 5 | Walking on a line | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing |
| Hallway hopscotch: Tape a row of squares 12 inches (about 30 cm) across; jump square to square | Hallway | Painter's tape | 10 | Jumping, hopping | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing; Bone: hopping, skipping, jumping |
| Kick bowling: Stand 6 plastic cups at the end of the hall; kick a large soft ball at them | Hallway | Plastic cups, large soft ball | 10 | Kicking | Aerobic: playing games that require catching, throwing, and kicking |
| Basket push: Load a laundry basket with soft toys and push it down the hall | Hallway | Laundry basket, soft toys | 5 | Pushing | No Table 3-1 example (our match) |
| Follow the leader: March, tiptoe and stomp down the hall in a line; swap leaders | Hallway | None | 5 | Marching, tiptoeing | Aerobic: games such as tag or follow the leader |
| Chase and tag: Take turns chasing; a tag means swap | Yard or park | None | 10 | Running | Aerobic: games such as tag or follow the leader; Bone: running |
| Kick and chase: Kick a large ball, run after it, kick it back | Yard or park | Large ball | 10 | Kicking, running | Aerobic: playing games that require catching, throwing, and kicking; Bone: running |
| Big-ball catch: Stand close and toss a large soft ball underhand; step back after each catch | Yard or park | Large soft ball | 10 | Catching, throwing | Aerobic: playing games that require catching, throwing, and kicking |
| Red light, green light: Run on green, freeze on red, tiptoe on yellow | Yard or park | None | 5 | Running, stopping | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing; Bone: running |
| Playground time: Slides, steps and climbing frames at a public playground | Yard or park | None | 15 | Climbing | Aerobic: playing on a playground; Muscle: climbing on playground equipment |
| Collecting walk: Walk the block with a bag and collect leaves or sticks | Yard or park | A bag | 15 | Walking, bending, carrying | Aerobic: walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing |
By our match, 17 of the 20 moves match an example in Table 3-1; 3 do not (cushion mountain, box tunnel, basket push). They stay in because, per the guidelines, for children ages 3 through 5 years, all intensities and types of activities count toward meeting the key guidelines. Make any move easier or harder: step instead of jump, stand closer, shorten the line. We left out tricycle or bicycle riding and swimming, both aerobic examples in the table, because they need a trike or a pool.
What are good indoor gross motor activities for toddlers?
14 moves work indoors (9 on the floor, 5 in a hallway) and 6 outdoors. In a small apartment, start with the floor moves; a hallway adds a straight run for hopscotch, kick bowling and the tape tightrope. For rainy afternoons picked by energy and mess, see our rainy-day indoor activities for toddlers.
What are good outdoor gross motor activities for toddlers?
Chase and tag, kick and chase, big-ball catch, red light green light, playground time and a collecting walk give the most room to run. For clothes that keep up, see how to dress a toddler; for the stage itself, what age is a toddler and our toddler guides.
How do you plan a week of active play?
Use the Three-Block Rule: three short planned blocks a day (morning, midday and late afternoon), with the midday block outdoors when you can, so movement is spread across the day. The sample week fills each block from the Space-Gear Map, with an indoor swap for rainy days.
| Day | Morning (indoors) | Midday (outdoors) | If it rains (indoors) | Late afternoon (indoors) | Planned minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Freeze dance, 5 | Chase and tag, 10 | Follow the leader, 5 | Towel tug of war, 5 | 20 (rain day 15) |
| Tuesday | Tape jump lines, 5 | Kick and chase, 10 | Kick bowling, 10 | Cushion mountain, 10 | 25 (rain day 25) |
| Wednesday | Tape tightrope, 5 | Playground time, 15 | Box tunnel, 10 | Sock-ball toss, 10 | 30 (rain day 25) |
| Thursday | Towel jump, 5 | Big-ball catch, 10 | Hallway hopscotch, 10 | Log roll, 5 | 20 (rain day 20) |
| Friday | Animal walks, 5 | Red light, green light, 5 | Basket push, 5 | Towel tug of war, 5 | 15 (rain day 15) |
| Saturday | Hallway hopscotch, 10 | Collecting walk, 15 | Follow the leader, 5 | Freeze dance, 5 | 30 (rain day 20) |
| Sunday | Tape jump lines, 5 | Playground time, 15 | Box tunnel, 10 | Log roll, 5 | 25 (rain day 20) |
The planned blocks add up to 15 to 30 minutes a day (our arithmetic). They are anchors, not the whole day's play.
At the end of the week, run the Mix Check against the guidelines' own examples for preschool-aged children:
- A run, chase or dance: games such as tag or follow the leader and walking, running, skipping, jumping, dancing are aerobic examples.
- A hop, jump or run: hopping, skipping, jumping and running are bone-strengthening examples.
- A pull or climb: games such as tug of war and climbing on playground equipment are muscle-strengthening examples.
In the sample week's dry plan, moves matching aerobic examples come up on all 7 days, bone-strengthening examples (a hop, jump or run) on 6 and muscle-strengthening examples (tug of war or the playground) on 4.
Gross motor play questions
Should toddler play be free or structured?
Both have a place. The guidelines say preschool-aged children (ages 3 through 5 years) should be encouraged to move and engage in active play as well as in structured activities, such as throwing games and bicycle or tricycle riding.
What gross motor activities work in a small apartment?
The 9 floor moves need a clear patch about 6 by 6 ft (about 1.8 by 1.8 m).
Which gross motor activities need no gear from home?
Animal walks, follow the leader, chase and tag, red light, green light and playground time (at a public playground) need no gear from home; tape jump lines, tape tightrope and hallway hopscotch need only painter's tape.
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (2018), children's chapter and Table 3-1; ODPHP (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion), Current Guidelines, supplement page (a supplement on steps and muscle-strengthening activity will be released in 2027) and Move Your Way® fact sheet for parents; NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8 (1 inch = 2.54 cm, exact; 1 foot = 0.3048 m, exact). All read October 2026. Use of ODPHP and HHS material does not imply that they endorse Babbez or its products. The moves, minutes and sample week are ours. General information, not medical advice: for questions about how your child moves, ask your pediatrician or your child's doctor. Medical disclaimer · Editorial standards.