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!

Play: Feet First

Play can bring children's feet into action with their stream of:

• running
• skipping
• sliding
• galloping
• hopping
• jumping
• landing
• scooting
• bounding

A list of words to describe motion in youngsters is almost endless.
And then by adding another layer of movement: qualities of action, we see:

• slow
• fast
• rapid
• staccato
• gently
• abruptly
• choppy

Again, the words that describe the qualities of movement vary as widely as the globe.
Movement exploration opens doors of self-awareness and mastery of motion.

So, when your children or students are active in play, whether on a playground or in an open room space, use those minutes to not only give your children opportunities to release their energy but to gain knowledge about controlling their bodies.
Their feet are a powerful route for information from attempts to move, balance and ascend from the ground...those experiences deliver showers of good information to the brain!
In the action of playing, kids learn to move. And as they move they build thousands of pathways between muscle and their mind.
These neural pathways serve their immediate needs to get from here to there but in practicing motion while playing, these information highways become established as channels for information transfer for:

• Cognitive gains
• Motor sequencing
• Perceptual sensory integration
• Body awareness/kinesthetic learning

Quick skill practice, which can be done on the playground or indoors:

Open the BARN DOORS!

1. Ask the child to place their feet, side-by-side: Big Toes Kissing!
2. Then suggest that under their feet are tons of farm animals, in a BARN.
3. Ask them to 'swing' their toes apart, keep their heels touching.
4. Then placing weight on the balls of their feet, 'swing' their HEELS apart.
5. This series of foot motions will cause their feet to move to the SIDES.
6. Alternate 'toes swings' and 'heel swings' to GET the farm animals out of the BARN.
7. Then reverse the actions to herd the animals in to the BARN, at night.

This activity will build awareness of the sole of the foot and the subtle weight shifts that can give a child control of their body.
Let's remember that PLAY is a great way to both:

• Learn to Move and
• Learn to LEARN

If you are teaching youngsters and may need a curriculum to guide preschoolers movement development, perhaps the KidSKILLS Movement and Sports Training series of Manuals would give you a progressively organized plan. 

There is a complete curriculum from Play Builds Kids to guide you own children or students.

Yoga Stretches for Children

Yoga stretches give a satisfaction!  Try bringing your children both the awareness of their spine and their alignment while educating them about a basic yoga posture.

The Child's Pose can be a natural extension the Kidskills Training Program. The back exercise called: Old Nag! Mad Cat! teaches the youngster to maintain a solid position while standing on their hands and knees.

The basic stand on the hands and knees should have their hands place shoulder width apart with all their fingers pointing forward. Take time to look at their back before their start the action.
While keeping legs solid and arms straight the child acts like a Mad Cat, arching their spine, then ask them to drop their back [rib cage] and act like an Old Nag! This recruits the back and the supporting muscles. The brain gets lots of stimulation too!

Coordination blooms and embeds!

 NOW, add the yoga stretch, Child's Pose!  Ask the child to move from the hands and knees postion to a position sitting on their heels. Keep their arms l-o-n-g with their palms glued to the floor - just where they started.

The knees and feet are held, side-by-side and the head is touching the floor. Let them hold the position for a minute. It will feel satisfying and will be an exercise that they will return to...over their lifetime.

The Kidskills Movement and Training Series is available as eBooks for Nook, Kindles, and iPads.

A lifetime skill...what a great legacy to give to your children. The JOY of movement!!

Yoga Stretch: Child's Pose

This position will lengthen the spine and will feel excellent. You can do it alongside your child. Take a minute or two to rest in this Child's Pose.

If you find this activity useful for your children, there is a series of six KidSKILLS Movement and Sports Training

Manuals available for Nooks, Kindles, and iPad.

Source: kidskills.com via Diane on Pinterest

Preschool Play: Builds Body Control

Make every moment of childhood contribute to kids' health!
The tugs on the minutes and hours of a child's day are making simple play times less and less!

• More schooling: early learning

• Transit times to activity sites

• Less play spaces available

• Screens taking free minutes: tables, mobile devices, views of media on screens

• Parents or caregivers: with limited time to just play with youngsters

During Preschool Play: Try this simple task to build body awareness and some skill mastery!

Task 11:  Straight Arrow LEGS!

Task 11: Straight ARROW Legs! Kids love to hear words that are silly, repeated in a rhythm or those words that add a flare or new slant to their developing vocabulary. Use this simple 'exercise challenge' to build body control and awareness. Ask your child to be seated and extend their legs forward [with straight knees and pointy toes]. By supporting their back with their arms, ask them to lift one leg high to the sky! Like an ARROW-straight. Hold HIGH for a few seconds. Repeat with other leg!

Source: kidskills.com via Diane on Pinterest