Keeping Them Moving

Keeping Them Moving

Movement is an important aspect of young children’s life and should be a part of their daily living. Gross motor movements involve the use and control of the large muscles in the body. Practicing these skills help children gain strength and confidence in their bodies. Exercise and physical activity are also an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Developing these skills at a young age prepares children for more complex activities in the future, such as playing an organized sport as a part of a team.

Gross motor skills can be categorized into three types of movements:

• Locomotor activity involves movement from one location to another, such as walking, running, skipping, galloping, climbing, jumping, and hopping. 
• Non-locomotor activities involve large movements from a stationary location, such as pushing, pulling, squatting down and rising back up, stretching, swinging, bending, twisting, and turning. 
• The last category, manipulative skills, involves moving objects in various ways, such as kicking, catching, striking, and throwing. 

In the Acton Montessori studio, the learners practice and develop all of the categories of gross motor skills throughout the day. Movements are incorporated into many of our group time songs (such as Mr. Sun) and games like Simon Says. 

During the work cycle, the children carry work trays, work mats, watering cans, and other materials from one location to another. They also have access to a yoga mat with a selection of yoga cards showing a variety of yoga poses (see these free printable yoga cards from Montessori Print Shop). Many of the practical life lessons available in the studio also incorporate gross motor movements. Check out this video of a Montessori guide demonstrating a lesson on table washing and notice how many gross motor movements are involved! 

Outside, the learners continue working their large muscle groups. Twice a week they play CrossFit Kids games with Coach Andrew (such as the ones shown in this video). During unstructured play they run, jump, skip, walk on balance beams, climb trees, swing on ropes, and hang from and climb on Acton’s CrossFit rig. 

As you continue to develop your daily routine with your children at home, remember to include time for movement and the development of gross motor skills. There are a variety of fun activities you can try indoors and outdoors. Consider some of the things that we do at Acton Academy or explore other structured and unstructured ways to keep your children moving. Here are some more ideas to help you get started:

• Build and “run” an obstacle course or maze such as this one made from sidewalk chalk or incorporate some of the ideas from this backyard course.
• Draw and jump through a hopscotch course (you could use chalk outside or painters tape on indoor floors).
• Create a mural or large piece of artwork using painting by rolling.
• Create your own physical activity cube.
• Fly a kite (if you don’t have one, make your own!).
• Challenge your child to set goals and beat their own records with this simple tape jumping game.
• Create an ellipse (or another closed shape) inside with painters tape or outside with sidewalk chalk and challenge your child to “walk the line.” This is an activity developed by Maria Montessori. Children can start by simply walking around the line normally, then you can challenge them with one or more of the following extensions:
• Walking heel to toe 
• Galloping
• Skipping
• “Gliding” without lifting their feet
• Walking while carrying a tray with a cup of water
• Walking while carrying a small bell hanging from a string (the goal is not to let the bell ring)
• Walking while balancing something flat on their head