Stretch before bed: the 6 actions
Six slow moves on the floor, then lights off. The screen calls one action at a time and waits about twelve seconds before moving on, so nobody is rushed. Press pause whenever your child wants to keep doing one.
- Sit and reach for your toes. Breathe out. बैठकर पैर की उँगलियों तक पहुँचो। साँस छोड़ो।
- Curl up small like a seed. बीज की तरह सिकुड़ जाओ।
- Roll onto your back and hug your knees. पीठ के बल लेटकर घुटने पकड़ो।
- Rock gently from side to side. धीरे-धीरे इधर-उधर झूलो।
- Lie flat and let your arms go heavy. सीधे लेटो और हाथ भारी छोड़ दो।
- Five slow breaths. In, and out. पाँच धीमी साँसें। अंदर, और बाहर।
Why this one is worth doing
A child who has been still all evening often needs movement before sleep, not less of it — but slow, heavy, floor-level movement, not a chase. Keep this one in the same place in the bedtime order every night.
Space and safety
Clear a arm's-length circle and move anything with a hard corner. Socks on a smooth floor are the commonest cause of a bump, so bare feet are better. Stop if your child is out of breath and cannot talk, and never turn a movement game into a competition between two children — it is the fastest way to make the smaller one give up on their own body.
How long, how often
Two or three minutes is a full session at this age, and several short bursts across a day beat one long one. Children aged three to five need about three hours of activity spread through the day, including an hour of the puffed-out kind; most of that comes from ordinary play, and this is here for the days when the weather or the flat says no.
Make it easier, make it harder
Easier: do it with them rather than watching, slow it right down, and drop any action that needs balance. A two-year-old copying you badly is getting the full benefit. Harder: add counting out loud, close the eyes, use the other hand or the other leg, or ask your child to call the actions for you. Being the one who gives the instructions is much harder than following them, and children love it.
More things to move to
There are 24 routines on the Move with Golu page: 2 animal walks, 3 stretches, 7 movement games, 5 action rhymes, 4 balance challenges and 3 slow calm-down routines. They also turn up as the "move" step inside Golu's Day, so your child meets a different one most days.
Now do it for real
When the screen goes off, do something with your hands. Try 🪔 Dot rangoli — an easy craft for ages 3-6, with every step read aloud in your language. You will need chalk or colours, a flat floor or a big paper; nothing that needs a trip to a shop.
There are 56 more on the things to do at home page, and free printable worksheets if you would rather have something on paper. Ten minutes on a screen and twenty minutes off it is a good shape for a day at this age.