Run, jump and climb! Move it!
Gym and Physical Activity
What is it?
Children are full of energy and never seem to stop! Whether it is running, jumping, climbing, balancing, throwing and catching or stamping in puddles. They love to engage in physical play. It may involve resources such as bikes or balls but can also be using their own bodies in various ways too.
Why is it important?
Physical play is great for many reasons including health and wellbeing, risk assessing, cooperating with others or listening to instructions. Children can discover for themselves what they can do. The opportunities to develop gross motor skills, provide a base for developing fine motor skills, leading to drawing and marking skills.
How to bring it back (guidance etc)?
Whether it is in the gym at school, a garden, a park or another outdoor area, there are various areas you can use. Where can you use? Can you involve the children in helping to make resources to use too? While children need opportunities to explore lots of ways to move, they also need to be supported to risk assess during physical play.
Sharing with home?
Encourage families to take children outside and use their own bodies, in fun exercise. Share with families the importance of developing gross motor skills to move in many ways. Where possible encourage learning to swim, cycling safely and joining in team sports.
This is one of a weekly series of posts highlighting different spaces, experiences and interactions that practitioners have told us are not all easy to get back after the pandemic restrictions.
It’s all about playing, talking, and having fun together – so we hope they are useful. If there are any ideas you’d like us to highlight, just get in touch with your link EYESO.
For ideas about family engagement, you will find a “home” version of this post on bumps2bairns.com