Did you watch the sports’ stars play a game of tennis or cricket over the summer holidays? Or maybe you even played a game yourself? I marvel at the balance, strength, and coordination of those sports professionals being broadcast into our lounge rooms. They were once babies who developed the skills to run or throw themselves into the professional sports world. There is no doubt that play is serious kids’ business! So like many grandparents, I threw my youngest granddaughter into the business of moving fast and gave her a little trike (made from bamboo) for Christmas.
She’s beginning to build the strength and coordination skills needed to move forward along the path through the garden. She’s developing the gross motor skills that will enable her to go help me in the garden or go hiking with her mum and dad. She gets quite distracted by the flowers and the interesting river pebbles scattered along the path, so I’m happy to cultivate her interest into a passion for being outdoors enjoying nature.
Play is serious business
Play is serious business for kids. They learn about their surroundings and practice control and co-ordination of their body as a whole.
Playing fun physical games outdoors like hide and seek gets children to engage their core muscles, but did you know it has a flow-on effect to fine motor skills?
A child with a strong core can do things like sit upright at a table to draw or play with play-dough. They can also stablise themselves while getting dressed, or manage their backpack totake to daycare.
There’s also the important skills of:
- understanding where their own bodies are in space
- how they can move purposefully, and
- being able to respond to the objects around them.
Active fun
There’s lots of activities you can use to help develop gross motor skills in babies and toddlers. The best part is that they are so fun your kids won’t even realise how much good they are doing for themselves!
My granddaughters and I like to play crawling over big cushions until we collapse. We call this game boom boom. Other favourites are:
- a simple outdoor obstacle course, to practice climbing over and under
- throwing a ball back and forth
- chasing bubbles
- visiting the local playground
- go for a swim and a play at the local pool
An added bonus of these very physical activities is that it helps burn some of that endless energy kids seem to have!
Whatever the weather
When the weather isn’t being co-operative we sometimes move those games inside, or change things up by playing with pull toys, dancing, or bringing in her trike.
It’s a joy to watch my grandchildren develop their confidence in what they can accomplish with their bodies and find their way through the world they inhabit. What are some of your favourite activities to help kids develop their gross motor skills? Share with me in the comments!
