2020
Let’s Get Moving Together!
Physical activity should be more than just a New Year’s resolution for yourself! Getting our bodies in motion is important for us all, but it’s vital for young children because it plays such an important role in their overall development. Activity gives them physiological gains (increased coordination, stronger muscles, better motor skills) as well as improved cognitive and emotional skills (concentration, thinking, mood, and many, many others).
As parents and educators, we can all agree that one of our main goals is to raise strong and smart humans, so we can’t afford to overlook physical activity.
Back to Basics
In this day and age, everything seems to need a Wi-Fi connection. Life is faster and requires less physical activity with all of the automation and immediate communication. For children’s wellness, it’s important to take time to slow down with them and go back to the basics… running, jumping, pillow fights, and those spontaneous dance moves that will keep our healthy hearts pumping and endorphins going!
Little ones are naturally more active outside and it can be a challenge to keep them physically engaged indoors. When weather (either hot or cold) keeps us inside at school or at home, we can provide both directed and spontaneous indoor activities to promote healthy preschoolers. Here are a few exercises you can try at home!
*Catching, kicking and/or rolling a soft ball
*Hopping with one or two feet
*Crawling through a cardboard box tunnel
*Walking backward or sideways
*Holding a yoga pose
*Add a fun factor to any activity by setting a timer to see how many times your child can do the activity in one minute, roll a die to determine the number of repetitions, or have your child decide the next move!
You can find more ideas at the end of this post.
Música y Movimiento at Spanish Schoolhouse
At SSH, we love to incorporate movement into our daily routines in fun and motivating ways to keep students active. Our Music & Movement curriculum gives kids success-oriented experiences that are both physical and mental. From balancing on colorful stepping stones to hopping, crawling, parachute play, and dribbling balls, our teachers not only engage children in physical experiences; they engage their creativity too! That’s a WIN all around and it all happens under one roof, in our indoor gym/PE area.
Using music in these activities strengthens listening, social and emotional skills, language communication, and creative expression. Students love freeze-dance activities, marching to drum beats, and following rhythmic patterns. Each music activity challenges the kids to control their bodies and establish a connection between different parts of the brain, all while having fun with friends.
Physical challenges build confidence and self-esteem. We love to see the pride on little faces when a child masters crossing a low balance beam or another physical feat. We want to keep fostering these types of achievements and supporting our students’ development each and every day!
Easy Ways to Get Kids (and ourselves) Moving
The best way we can encourage activity in our children is to start by being active role models. Provide opportunities for your children to have unstructured (but safe) play, limit screen time, visit a new playground or take a walk after dinner, create healthy and small competitions, blast some Latin music and dance in the living room! Even a simple game of “Simon Says” (Simón Dice) can add some physical activity to your family’s daily routine. Here are more fun ideas for keeping kids moving during these winter months.
87 Energy‐Busting Indoor Games & Activities For Kids
Gross Motor Skills Activities for Little Kids
We’d love to hear your ideas for fun, physical activities. Feel free to share your family’s favorites in the comment section below.