Walk the line: the 6 actions
Put a rope, a scarf or a chalk line on the floor. 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.
- Walk along the line, heel to toe. लकीर पर एड़ी-से-पंजा चलो।
- Walk back along it, slowly. वापस धीरे-धीरे चलो।
- Walk sideways along the line. लकीर पर बग़ल में चलो।
- Walk backwards. Go slowly! उल्टे चलो। धीरे-धीरे!
- Walk it on tiptoes. पंजों पर चलो।
- Hop along it on two feet. दोनों पैरों से उछलते हुए चलो।
Why this one is worth doing
Heel-to-toe walking is a standard check of balance at this age, and backwards walking is much harder than it looks because the feet have to work without the eyes. A line of chalk or a dupatta on the floor is all the equipment anyone needs.
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 🎈 The balloon that sticks — an easy science experiment for ages 4-6, with every step read aloud in your language. You will need a balloon, your hair or a woollen cloth, small bits of 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.