Physical Development

Fundamental movement skills include balance, locomotor skills, and manipulative skills. The term locomotor skills describes projecting the body into or through space (for example, running, jumping, hopping, galloping, or skipping). The term manipulative skills refers to handling objects by giving to and receiving force from those objects (for example, the gross motor activities of throwing, kicking), or catching an object.

Perceptual–motor coordination is the child’s ability to respond physically to incoming sensory information (for example, visual, auditory, touch, and kinesthetic). Coordinated behavior in young children is the ability to quickly and accurately perform certain movements and should be synchronous, rhythmic, and properly sequenced.

Active physical play affords children opportunities for problem solving and social interaction; in older children, active physical play has been shown to improve mood and emotional wellbeing.  Although physical health is an important goal for children, it is best served by preserving children’s pleasure in active physical play.  The three components of active physical play are physical fitness, aerobic endurance, and muscular strength.  

When the benefits of preschool are considered, it is important to remember how much children learn through physical activity outdoors in the natural world. Research shows that when children have access to green, outdoor spaces, they have better cognitive functioning and improved well-being and social connectedness.  Finding ways to bring greenery to our urban outdoor spaces takes creativity and planning.  

Risk taking, when properly supervised, is a natural and desirable response by children as they test their developing strength, endurance, and flexibility. Testing the ability to climb higher, jump from a greater height, swing higher and higher, or twirl until losing balance are natural challenges for young children. Proper supervision is, of course, essential. But so too is an environment that permits and celebrates reasonable risk taking.

Positive encouragement is both the teachers’ and parents’ primary avenue for sustaining active physical play. Recognizing effort, and not just results, is important because children are attuned to what we say and how we say it. The use of rich, descriptive language that recognizes effort encourages children’s continued participation. Starting with a positive comment, following with a helpful instructional hint, and finishing with an encouraging statement is a simple technique that works, even with young children.