Encourage Physical Activity.

Children have lots of energy. Utilize that energy for good. I recently read a statistic that the average three-year-old takes seventy-five more steps per hour than the average adult.

Encourage even more movement than that. This can be done throughout their life. Children will mimic what you do. Go out and get exercise and bring them with you. All kids love the park, slides, and everything that a park has to offer. Encourage them to run, play, and take risks. They’ll learn to understand their limits; just be there to catch them if they happen to fall.

Play games like tag and hide and go seek. These games encourage laughter, fun, and creativity. They also yield the best result of all, an exhausted child that sleeps really well.
When my son turned five, we were at the park and he saw an older child climbing a tree. He wanted to climb the tree too. I said go ahead. While being in close proximity, I witnessed him climb the tree over six feet high and the look of accomplishment on his face was awesome!

However, a couple minutes later he slipped and he was caught in the tree branches hanging on for his life. He was still six feet up in the air, hanging upside down, with his legs caught between branches. I was only fifteen feet from him and was able to go and help him get out. He had an accident without major repercussions. It was a learning experience for him. Now he will be more careful because he understands he can fall.