When with a child comes, especially a toddler, the first thing that comes to your mind is continuous activity like climbing up furniture’s, bouncing on beds and most of them rest only in sleep. Many mothers will feel the same that their child is always up for something and we mothers often wonder where are they getting this energy for.
They do so much so even thinking that they need exercise seems to be a joke. Children engaged in movement activity that is developmentally appropriate are learning in every which direction, while all five senses spring into action. Habits will hopefully endure forever. Research has shown that preschoolers should have at least one hour of structured activity daily. This should not replace loads unstructured free play which is important for the development of the child.
The structured activity should not stress and at the same time it should be non-competitive. The child will get included in games sports, dances and will have better peer relationships, will be
more friendly learn to co-operate and communicate. Such indulgence also helps in making the child more confident and outgoing. He will be more relaxed with studies.
Develop the locomotors Skills through crawling, walking, marching, jumping, hopping, running, skipping, galloping, sliding, climbing, chasing, fleeing, and dodging. The Stability Skills can be developed through turning, twisting, bending, stopping, balancing, transferring weight, jumping and landing, stretching, curling, swinging, swaying which lead to effective body management, body control and flexibility. Object Control Skills can be developed by manipulation of objects through throwing, catching, rolling, kicking, volleying, dribbling, striking which lead to better hand-eye, foot-eye coordination and are particularly important for tracking items in space.
The main thing at toddler age is to get the children in touch with their inner selves, to develop concentration, to beat stress. Activities need to be easygoing, played at the child’s level, starting with body part identification, which is the basis of any movement programme. Simple locomotors skills strengthen the large muscles used in walking; climbing, pushing, pulling, and basic stability skills of bending and stretching are also demonstrated in a fun way. Think paddle pools, trampolines, rings around a pole, fit pegs into a whole, crawl through a tunnel, finger.
Children can distinguish shapes and sizes. Their minds and finger skills are sharpened in fixing blocks into each other, putting geometrical shapes into matching slots and sorting by color.
The goal is to build overall body coordination, confidence, and spatial awareness. The foundation for sports is laid by way of gymnastics and games, teamed with object control skills.
5 to 6 Children now see themselves as part of a group, and like creative moments and games that go by rules, in a non-competitive fun environment. The children like it when they are challenged to carry out complex locomotors operations and extended stability skills. They are motivated to engage in object control skills such as volleying, kicking, throwing and catching, striking with rockets and dribbling. They learn to play basketball, football, golf, hockey, volleyball, and understand the basic dynamics of each sport.