Washington ? Get the baby out of the bouncy seat and let him roll around on the floor. Play patty-cake. Toss soft balls with toddlers. Challenge 3-year-olds to walk on a safe curb while keeping their balance.

Exercise for babies, toddlers and preschoolers is not rocket science. But they do need simple activities every day that are crucial building blocks in learning to walk, run and eventually swing a tennis racket, say the first physical education guidelines for children so young.

Too many youngsters are confined in strollers, baby seats or playpens for long periods, says the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. The group issued the guidelines Wednesday for parents, day care centers and preschools.

“We ‘containerize’ kids” to keep them safe while parents are busy, said Michigan State University exercise physiologist Jim Pivarnik, a co-author of the guidelines. Instead, give them a safe environment and “let them out, let them explore, let them move.”

“We’re not talking about having a workout for our babies,” said Judy Young, the association’s executive director.

Instead, the goal is common-sense, fun activities and making physical activity part of normal, everyday life in hopes that the children will not grow up to be among the 60 percent of Americans who are overweight couch potatoes.

Among the guidelines:

Part of an infant’s day should be spent in structured activity with a parent or caregiver playing peekaboo or patty-cake, being carried to and exploring new environments.

Do not keep infants or toddlers in baby seats or other restrictive settings for long periods. Even young infants move differently when placed on a blanket on the floor than when in a baby seat.

Toddlers should accumulate at least 30 minutes of structured physical activity, and preschoolers at least an hour, during each day. Play follow-along songs, chase or ball; for older children, balancing games or tumbling increase strength and body control.

Toddlers and preschoolers should spend at least an hour, preferably more, a day in free play exploring, experimenting, imitating. Caregivers should provide safe objects to ride, push, pull, balance on and climb.

Toddlers and preschoolers should not be sedentary for more than an hour at a time except when sleeping.

Physical activity should not be forced or used as punishment, the guidelines say. Instead, it should be a routine part of daily life and parents should join in, not just sit on a park bench and watch the children romp, the group said.

NASPE is a professional organization of physical education instructors, trainers and researchers.