Physical Play
Coordination is important to children’s overall development. Being able to tackle different kinds of equipment without feeling clumsy or awkward gives children greater self-confidence and a positive attitude about themselves. Being active helps children to develop healthy habits and supports their growing independence when undertaking skills such as dressing, feeding and other daily tasks. Developing relationships, nutrition, safe surroundings and self value are all interlinked to physical play.
By participating in Physical Play on a regular basis a child may develop:
- sustained concentration and focus
- social interactions such as turn taking and cooperation
- gross and fine motor skills
- an awareness of their body in space
Gross Motor Skills are the large body movements intended for stability and spatial awareness. Examples include balancing, walking, running, jumping, climbing and skipping.
Fine Motor Skills incorporate movements such as eye-hand coordination or eye-foot coordination. Examples include grasping, being able to do a pincer grip, throwing, kicking, pedalling, catching and scissor cutting.
Examples of Physical Play in everyday life include riding bikes (tricycles), ball games, parachute game, drawing, hopscotch, puzzles, weaving, collecting, packing, sweeping and cooking.
Developmental milestones related to Physical Play include crawling, walking and sitting up unaided.
You can view a range of physical play activities below:
Bathing The Baby
Use a variety of multicultural dolls to encourage conversation about different cultures. Talk the children through the process; let them do as much as they can on their own.
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Water Play
This activity will encourage children to explore and discover the feel of water. This is a sensory experience with cognitive applications.
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Paper Bag Kites
A windy day can provide ideal conditions for kite flying. Some members may have kites they can bring from home, but it can be even more fun to make them!
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Dinosaur Dig
When children get involved in a Dinosaur Dig (in a sand pit) they develop sensory skills, language skills (to explain feelings) and fine and gross motor skills.
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Acrobalance
Learn to be a flyer in the circus! Helps to gain trust and learn focus, balance, body tension, strength and spatial awareness.
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Messy Music Time
Music is innately motivating and engaging for children. It teaches gross and fine motor skills, listening skills, turn taking, social skills and helps with brain development.
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Ball Games
Encouraging children to play ball games that requires them to throw or roll objects supports their physical development.
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Obstacle Course
Children enjoy creative physical activities. With an outdoor or indoor obstacle course, their imagination can run wild when designing and choosing obstacles.
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