Physical Development

Your child is growing like a weed!  Each day his fine (small muscle movements) and gross (large muscle movements) motor development is getting more precise and accurate.  Your preschooler is able to run with ease, jump with two feet off the ground, balance on one foot, squat, skip and gallop.  You marvel at his never-ending energy and his determination! 

You can enhance physical development skills at home using everyday materials you already have in your house.  The following are simple games and activities that will engage your child or a group of children for hours:

• Take a Walk:  Mother Nature provides us a beautiful backdrop that changes daily.  Pay close attention to what is around you.  Are things moving in the wind today?  Is the ground wet from a rainfall?  What is under the rock?  Look up at the sky, are there shapes in the clouds?   Even if you take the same walking route everyday your child will notice new things.
• Roll Away:  Have your child roll down a small hill or even a flat surface. Experiment with how many different ways he can roll.  Can he roll with his arms straight out, his arms tucked in, his hands holding onto a ball, or with his legs tucked in?  Give him a little car to roll down the hill.  Can he roll down the hill before the car?  Have a race!
• Balancing Acts:  Draw a line on the sidewalk or lay a rope on the grass.  Have your child balance along the line.  Can he stand on one foot on the line (be sure to put arms out for balance)? Can he hop along the line?  Can he do a twist while he is on the line!  Pretend you are at the circus on a high wire.  What acts can he perform for you?
• All Sorts of Balls:  Have your child practice hand eye coordination as you experiment with a variety of balls.  Can he catch a large ball using his big muscles and throw it back to you underhand?  Can his small muscles grab onto a tiny ball and bounce it?  How many bounces can occur between you and him?  How about throwing the balls in a box or a pail from a distance?  Make up your own rules, change the rules as you go, it’s his game so let him create the fun!