Wheelbarrow walk: the 6 actions
A grown-up holds the legs, the child walks on hands. 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.
- Lie on your tummy and put your hands down flat. पेट के बल लेटो और हथेलियाँ सपाट रखो।
- A grown-up lifts your legs up. बड़े तुम्हारे पैर उठाएँ।
- Walk forward on your hands. Slowly! हाथों पर आगे चलो। धीरे-धीरे!
- Walk five steps and stop. पाँच कदम चलकर रुको।
- Come down and shake your arms out. नीचे आओ और हाथ झटको।
- Try once more, a little further. एक बार और, थोड़ा और आगे।
Why this one is worth doing
Taking weight through the hands is one of the fastest ways to build the shoulder stability that handwriting needs. Five or six steps is plenty; stop before the arms get tired and the back sags.
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 🎶 Make a shaker — an easy craft for ages 2-5, with every step read aloud in your language. You will need an empty bottle with a lid, rice or small pulses, tape; 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.