Try these guides

Training resources to guide you and your child.

Foot use key to physical agility

Foot use, dexterity and strengthen are KEYS to maneuverability, ability and good movement.
Ask you children to try this task. Be careful with small marbles and small children.

Physical Literacy: Try Body Positions

In this  

Play Builds Kids Physical Literacy Training Series:

Have you preschooler SEE and TRY to DO this simple body position.

Model the task!
NAME the task!
Have them TRY to imitate.
Offer a few tips with positive encouragement.
 Tips to DO IT!!  

1. Back tall.
2. Head high.
3. Front leg knee bent.
4. Back leg straight.
5. Arms stretched. 

Need more ideas: consider reading the six Kidskills Training Manuals for Amazon Kindle.

Knees Bends: tiny movement treasures

Your preschoolers will be able to control their daily movement explorations if they can use a tiny knee bend to ease their jumping and hopping attempts.

The tiny treasure, KNEE BENDING, that I am calling a 'key' to either:

1. Getting off the supporting floor/ground JUMPING -or- HOPPING
2. LANDING:  from a jump -or- hop attempt

If we analyze all the sports and activities that we participate in as adults, we can 'SEE' that every effort starts with a slight flexion of the knees.

This small recoil of bones an muscles begins the powerful release of energy to leap, bound, throw or strike an object. Just think 'jump shot' for basketball!

Here are two children moving in a gentle way as they listen to a rhythmic piece of music.

They are demonstrating the simple but essential ability to absorb and release energy.

Being able to control the 'take-offs' and 'landings' of active play, games and beginning sports, will give your child confidence in their play explorations.

Watch them as they move. Encourage their use of their arms, stretched wide to the sides, to aid balance.

Simple tasks ~ done well~ will give them that " I Can Do That!" thrill!

 Literacy: Surround your preschoolers with richness in Language and Movement.

Mastery of movement and adeptness with words:  Brings confidence to kids!!!

Using descriptive language to highlight either:

1. Names of playground equipment pieces
2. Names of 'actions' grabbing, swaying, 'pumpin'

 as your kids explore play opportunities [indoors & outside] and make gains in motor skills, provides a WIN-WIN as language blooms and coordination zooms.

Physical literacy gives gains in physical abilities and the 'more' terms you weave into the fabric of daily PLAY for:

• Body positions
• Directional awareness: forward, behind
• Qualities of movement
• Cue words

the larger your children's WORD BANK grows.

Discovery of Physical World

All humans try  the discovery of physical world as they:

• Observe
• Sort and categorize
• Compare and contrast
• Manipulate
• Use senses for information gathering

The learning, that we each gain from discovery experiences, is an active ACTION----the doer is the active learner.
Again, all humans:

• Infants
• Toddlers
•  Preschoolers
• School-agers
• Teens
• Adults

using their senses are agents for their own learning. In understanding that learning is an ACTION-that we each DO,
it follows that time spend in such activity enables discovery by the active learner.

Learning is AN activity  

.....   and for children PLAY is their LEARNING activity. Time spent in PLAY enables Discovery of the physical world.
The discovery of the physical world unfolds the foundations of science and mathematics. A deeper understanding of the natural principles of our world constructs an understanding of those knowledge areas.
When the active learner is able to direct their own learning, mastery begins. Deeper knowledge emerges as further observations build the individual's cognitive treasure chest, in their brain.

When PLAY time is available, guiding youngsters movement explorations, might be aided with the 6 Training Manuals for Movement that Kidskills has written.

Prechoolers need to try to handle objects.

Surely, some guiding and aiding can be the child's caregiver's role BUT the JOY of Discovery should be created by the active learner. In that process as information is gathered, classified and simple deductions develop and simple problem-solving begins. When the initiation of action is done by the children [for this discussion] who have had experiences playing with materials that lead to exploratory attempts and often, in those attempts, creative solutions emerge.
Children easily and often display such divergent thinking, that adults find amazing!