These age bracket guidelines from the RRCA should be helpful to you. Children 5 and under should focus on “dash” events that range from a few yards to 400 meters. Children 5 and over, kids fun runs that are a ½ to 1 mile long may be considered, but allow for a combination of running and walking.
If your children are younger than 15 years old, the following racing distance guidelines should be followed for their safety: Under 4 years old – 50m.
Three-year-olds are natural runners. Some parents may sometimes wonder how to get their preschoolers to stop running. But structured running in a race or alongside an adult is different than just bouncing around the playground or backyard.
Physical activity guidelines for toddlers recommend that each day they: get at least 30 minutes of structured (adult-led) physical activity. get at least 60 minutes of unstructured (active free play) physical activity. not be inactive for more than 1 hour at a time except when sleeping.
Children as young as four can take part in 5km parkruns (provided they run with an adult) while organisers of some longer distance races set no lower age limit and are attracting hoards of medal-hungry youngsters as a result.
Children's muscles are different
And children show greater activity in muscles that oppose or control movement, a reflection of the fact that typically they are less skillful, and therefore use more energy.
When a child exercises too much, they risk burn-out from a couple of areas, specifically, injuries that lead to inability to continue performing preferred activity and inability to rest mind and body sufficiently.
Bottom line: 30 to 60 minutes of outdoor play time per day but even 10 minute “chunks” are a good idea.
I think a three year old should be able to walk about . 6 mile, some may be able to walk further. We once took our three year old on a 4 mile hike. I would bring the stroller along though, in case they get tired or start to misbehave.
Children under the age of five should not do any specific training or training for a sport, including running. The training from five to ten years have to be very short, the child can run 1-2 km at most and at a very slow pace. They should not be forced to perform speed competitions.
While the running-away phase lasts (it usually resolves itself between the ages of 18 months and 2 ½ years), it's best not to let your child walk until you can leave crowded streets for somewhere more child-friendly, such as a nearby playground.
At this age, your child is extremely active, mobile and learning in very physical ways. Children at this age are walking, running, kicking and throwing. They are exploring their world and picking up new skills, like kicking a ball or riding a tricycle.
He'll only be able to run in a straight line, and won't be able to run around obstacles that get in his way . By two years old, your toddler may have got the hang of running around things in his path . And by two and a half years old, your toddler may be able to run well , so you'll need to keep an eye on him.
Children aged 3-5 years need 10-13 hours of sleep a night. Some might also have a day nap of about an hour. Sometimes preschoolers can take a while to settle and get to sleep. This is because they're busy thinking about the day even after they go to bed.
Interactive Reading
As you read with your child, invite them to look at, point to and talk about what they see on the page. Interactive reading helps your child stay interested in a book and learn. Give your child time to ask questions about the book.
As a rule, experts say that children should play or practice organized sports no more than one hour per week for every year of age.
Pre-schoolers (aged 3 to 4)
Pre-schoolers should spend at least 180 minutes (3 hours) a day doing a variety of physical activities spread throughout the day, including active and outdoor play. The more the better.
He simply has a new sense of independence, combined with legs that can run! Toddlers love the feeling of being free and running around. It's good for you to encourage this behaviour, as long as you can control where he goes. At this young age, your toddler also doesn't realise that when he runs off, you can't see him.
Run for longer, but you shouldn't exceed 120 minutes. So, be careful about going for too long. That will put to much stress on your body, and will take away from your next session. As always, recovery is the key to successful training!
Exercise can transiently block the expression of statural growth by competitively removing the necessary nutritional support for growth. Statural growth retardation can be corrected by catch-up growth, but stunting may also be permanent (depending on the timing and magnitude of the energy drain).