Physical Development
Preschool is a period of time where children are learning and gearing up for their first school year. One very important aspect of this period is children's physical development. Because children are young and full of energy, there needs to be a time during the day when children get to release this energy. By allowing children this time, we are not only letting them relax their brains and explore physical aspects, but we are also strengthening children's body movements and coordination. At this stage in a child's life they are learning how to use their bodies, and one of the largest issues children need to develop is space awareness. Children are learning how to use their bodies, and what their strengths might be. Activities and games that engage the children together physically are going to enhance their motor skills and body awareness. These games may range from sports to free time on the playground. A balanced lineup to physical activities is necessary for children' s physical development. At this age children develop balance and test their ability to jump and land. The physical activities administered at school must cater to both the strong and less physically capable. Another aspect that should be considered is how boys and girls differ when it comes to the activities and games they enjoy. Boys usually enjoy getting dirty and rough play, while girls tend to enjoy staying clean and playing "make believe" with groups of friends. Because of this, there needs to be a large selection of games and activities that will improve the children's physical growth. There are several developmental areas that should be addressed when planning physical activities, the majority of these are as follows:
- balancing
- body and space awareness
- chasing, fleeing, and dodging
- integration
- jumping and landing
- kicking and punting
- direction
- dance and rhythm
- throwing and catching
- weight transfer
Many different activities can be produced to include the areas of physical growth listed above. Some of these games and activities are below:
Games & Activities:
- balancing- musical line moments
- body and space awareness- Simon says, scavenger hunt
- chasing, fleeing, and dodging- tag
- integration- color matching with beanbags
- jumping and landing- jump rope
- kicking and punting- kick far
- direction- pathway movement
- dance and rhythm- ribbon dancing
- throwing and catching- throw hard/ balloon toss
- weight transfer- forward rolls
- balancing
- body and space awareness
- chasing, fleeing, and dodging
- integration
- jumping and landing
- kicking and punting
- direction
- dance and rhythm
- throwing and catching
- weight transfer
Many different activities can be produced to include the areas of physical growth listed above. Some of these games and activities are below:
Games & Activities:
- balancing- musical line moments
- body and space awareness- Simon says, scavenger hunt
- chasing, fleeing, and dodging- tag
- integration- color matching with beanbags
- jumping and landing- jump rope
- kicking and punting- kick far
- direction- pathway movement
- dance and rhythm- ribbon dancing
- throwing and catching- throw hard/ balloon toss
- weight transfer- forward rolls
Now aside from the running and playing activities, there should be physical activities that include the arts. Artistic activities such as singing, painting, and crafting. These are physical skills that can be developed just like any other physical activity. Children need the opportunities to be well rounded, therefore the artistic physical activities will allow for more diverse learning.
Activities:
- painting
- singing
- completing puzzles
- drawing/ coloring
- building with blocks
- constructing other objects/molding
Activities:
- painting
- singing
- completing puzzles
- drawing/ coloring
- building with blocks
- constructing other objects/molding
All the things we do are to benefit the children. While we have set physical games and activities there should also be a time for free time. By allowing children to develop on their own, but with guidance, is what playground time is used for. Everything we do has a purpose. The ten physical development areas are addressed by teachers around the world are based on a specific system. The regulations and structure of this system can be found at this site: http://www.pecentral.org/