{"id":53795,"date":"2025-07-31T17:08:41","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T14:08:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/?p=53795"},"modified":"2026-03-16T16:46:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:46:31","slug":"how-active-should-7-12-yo-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/en\/how-active-should-7-12-yo-be","title":{"rendered":"How Active Should a 7\u201312-Year-Old Be?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Between ages 7 and 12, kids grow quickly, both physically and mentally. Daily movement helps them feel better, manage emotions, and learn more easily. The key is to make physical activity a regular part of everyday life.<\/p>\n<p>This article will guide you through how much activity your child needs, and how to make it fun and doable.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Daily Movement Matters<\/h2>\n<p>When a child spends a lot of time studying or sitting, movement becomes even more important. Physical activity supports not just the body, but also the brain\u2014boosting memory, focus, and mood.<\/p>\n<p>It also helps:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; width: 100%;\">\n<li>Strengthen the heart, lungs, muscles, and bones<\/li>\n<li>Maintain a healthy weight<\/li>\n<li>Improve posture and coordination<\/li>\n<li>Lower anxiety and lift mood<\/li>\n<li>Build confidence and shape self-esteem<\/li>\n<li>Improve attention, memory, and school performance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How Much Activity Does Your Child Need?<\/h2>\n<p>According to the World Health Organization, children ages 7\u201312 should get:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; width: 100%;\">\n<li>At least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily<\/li>\n<li>At least 3 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles and bones<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to Fit Movement Into Everyday Life<\/h2>\n<p>Being active doesn\u2019t mean joining a team or playing competitive sports. Even without organized activities, kids can move in fun, natural ways every day\u2014at home, on the way to school, or just playing outside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples of physical activity:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; width: 100%;\">\n<li>Brisk walking or family walks<\/li>\n<li>Riding a bike or scooter<\/li>\n<li>Running<\/li>\n<li>Dancing or swimming<\/li>\n<li>Playing sports like soccer, basketball, badminton, or tennis<\/li>\n<li>Climbing, jumping, or using playground equipment<\/li>\n<li>Walking to school<\/li>\n<li>Playing tag or games with friends<\/li>\n<li>Walking the dog<\/li>\n<li>Helping around the house or in the garden<\/li>\n<li>Taking the stairs instead of the elevator<\/li>\n<li>Family hikes or park outings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let your child choose what they enjoy, whether it\u2019s dancing, biking, or tossing a ball around. The most important thing is that it\u2019s fun. Support their interest, even if it\u2019s different from what you\u2019re used to.<\/p>\n<h2>What to Watch Out For<\/h2>\n<p>A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest threats to children\u2019s health. The more time they spend sitting, the higher the risk of weight gain, reduced endurance, and low mood.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s especially important to make sure screen time isn\u2019t replacing physical activity. Instead of endless scrolling, suggest a walk, a backyard game, or a quick household chore\u2014anything that gets them moving and boosts their energy.<\/p>\n<h2>Family Support Makes All the Difference<\/h2>\n<p>Kids follow our lead. If we move, they\u2019re more likely to move too. Go for walks together, ride bikes, or have a dance party at home. It\u2019s good for your child and for you.<\/p>\n<p>Let movement become a source of joy, confidence, and energy for your child\u2014a little at first, and eventually, every day.<\/p>\n<h2>References:<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; width: 100%;\">\n<li><a  rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/physical-activity-education\/guidelines\/index.html\"\" rel=\"nofollow\">Physical Activity Guidelines for School\u2011Aged Children and Adolescents<\/a>, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, 2024<\/li>\n<li><a  rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/exercise\/physical-activity-guidelines-children-and-young-people\/\"\" rel=\"nofollow\">Physical activity guidelines for children and young people<\/a>, NHS, \u0412\u0435\u043b\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0438\u044f, 2021<\/li>\n<li><a  rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12966-020-01037-z\"\" rel=\"nofollow\">2020 WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour<\/a>, World Health Organization, 2020<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<div class=\"wpulike wpulike-default \" ><div class=\"wp_ulike_general_class wp_ulike_is_not_liked\"><button type=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Like Button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-id=\"53795\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-nonce=\"d7f5b5b486\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-type=\"likeThis\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-template=\"wpulike-default\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-display-likers=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-disable-pophover=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"wp_ulike_btn wp_ulike_put_image wp_likethis_53795\"><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Between ages 7 and 12, kids grow quickly, both physically and mentally. Daily movement helps&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":53780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"layf_related_links":[""],"layf_exclude_from_feed":["1"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1773668838:1"],"_edit_last":["1"],"_thumbnail_id":["53780"],"mpulseenable_meta_value":["no"],"yzcategory_meta_value":["\u0414\u043e\u043c"],"yzrating_meta_value":["\u041d\u0435\u0442 (\u043d\u0435 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0432\u0437\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u044b\u0445)"],"yzrssenabled_meta_value":["no"],"saswp_custom_schema_field":[""],"_s2mail":["yes"],"hide-in-popular":[""],"_hide-in-popular":["field_5d0c8a5b4fde2"],"\u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440":["\u0412\u0430\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0439 \u0421\u043c\u0438\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0432"],"_\u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440":["field_5e33cab3984d1"],"\u0444\u043e\u0442\u043e":[""],"_\u0444\u043e\u0442\u043e":["field_5e33cbc1984d2"],"custom_title":[""],"_custom_title":["field_67cfbde67c007"],"custom_image":[""],"_custom_image":["field_67d012de223ac"],"custom_alt":[""],"_custom_alt":["field_67d012f6223ad"],"read_more":[""],"_read_more":["field_67d0130e223ae"],"_aioseo_title":[null],"_aioseo_description":[null],"_aioseo_keywords":[""],"_aioseo_og_title":[null],"_aioseo_og_description":[null],"_aioseo_og_article_section":[""],"_aioseo_og_article_tags":[""],"_aioseo_twitter_title":[null],"_aioseo_twitter_description":[null],"_ez-toc-disabled":[""],"_ez-toc-insert":[""],"_ez-toc-header-label":[""],"_ez-toc-device-target":[""],"_ez-toc-alignment":["none"],"_ez-toc-heading-levels":["a:0:{}"],"_ez-toc-alttext":[""],"_ez-toc-visibility_hide_by_default":[""],"_ez-toc-hide_counter":[""],"_ez-toc-exclude":[""],"_ez-toc-word_count_limit":["0"],"_ez-toc-position-specific":[""]},"categories":[668],"tags":[],"language":[3],"acf":{"custom_title":"","custom_image":"","custom_alt":"","read_more":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2025\/07\/Skolko-aktivnosti-nuzhno-rebyonku-7\u201312-let_1200x640_statya.png","author_info":{"display_name":"The Findmykids Editorial Team","author_link":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/ru\/author\/find-my-kids"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2025\/07\/Skolko-aktivnosti-nuzhno-rebyonku-7\u201312-let_1200x640_statya.png","reading_time":"2","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53795"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53796,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53795\/revisions\/53796"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53795"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=53795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}