Physical Activity for Children and Youth (5 to 17 Years Old)
Benefits, Guidelines and Resources for Parents
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth outlines the importance of a daily combination of moderate and high intensity physical activity, sedentary behaviour and a regular sleep routine for healthy growth and development.
The guidelines recommend children and youth get:
- at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
- Including bone and muscle strengthening activities three days per week.
- several hours of light physical activity every day.
A mix of structured and unstructured physical activity is crucial for healthy growth and development.
Sleep is also an important part of a balanced 24-hour day. Children aged 5 to 13 years old should reach 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night and youth 14 to 17 years old should benefit from 8 to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Recreational screen time should be limited to 2 hours daily.
Visit the suggested websites below for more information on these 24-hour movement guidelines:
Guidelines for Children and Youth
Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth
Physical Activity for Children & Youth
How Much for Adolescents? (12-17 years)
Physical Literacy
Physical literacy is the ability, skills, confidence, knowledge and motivation to engage in physical activity for life. It is an important part of an active lifestyle and starts in childhood.
It’s important that children learn and develop basic movement skills and the ABCs of what becomes daily movements and activities. Running, catching, and throwing are some of the movements that are necessary for many activities, games and sports that we learn in childhood.
It’s also important the basic movements are learned in a supportive and fun environment. A supportive environment for physical literacy encourages movement, removes barriers, celebrates effort, and supports confidence so people want to be active for life. It is one that makes it easy, safe, inclusive, and enjoyable for people to move, practice skills, and build confidence across their lifespan.
Physical literacy is a journey. It develops from early childhood to older adulthood and looks different for each person depending on their abilities, culture, and experiences.
Visit the suggested websites below for more information:
