Toddler physical development activities: Physical activity for young children

14 Toddler Activities to Encourage Physical Development & Play

By
Pam Myers, BSEd



/ January 9, 2017 July 23, 2019 / Activities for Kids, Child Development, Dad’s Corner, Expert Parenting Articles, Fitness for Kids & Teens, Mom’s Corner

There are countless activities to keep a toddler happy and occupied on a rainy day.  The challenge is uncovering the ones that help develop their little minds and bodies–especially the projects and games that require neither money to obtain nor lots of time to prepare.

These fun pastimes get children from 18 months to 3+ years moving and grooving!  These activate also help develop communication, gross and fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, self-control, and social skills: the usual suspects to promote healthy, intelligent, awesome kiddos.

So get moving!  Engage, inspire, and most importantly, have fun!

Go on a scavenger hunt for colors.   Let your child pick her favorite color, and encourage her to find it on home décor, toys, pillows, paintings, and more.  Then pick another color and look for it just in one room.  Then pick another color and count how many times you see it.  Then pick another one and another one….

Turn off the lights, close the curtains, and shine flashlights on the wall.  Make patterns in circles and lines, and have him imitate your movements.  Next, prop up the flashlight with a pillow so your hands are free to make shadow animals.  Can your child guess the shape?  Adorable animal noises optional.

Climb over, around, and on top of pillows scattered on the floor.  Use bed pillows and throw pillows of all shapes, colors, and sizes.  The greater the variety, the better.  All the jumping, balancing, and following directions promotes gross motor and cognitive skills; and toppling over is no problem- it’s fun!

Throw sock-balls into your laundry basket.   Start with the laundry basket very close to your child, and personally show him how it’s done so he can mimic the action.  Once your future basketball star gets comfortable with the objective and motion, slide the basket a little further away and practice even more.

Pretend to be different animals from the farm, the wild, and the ocean.  Chuckles will abound once both of you are impersonating the sounds and movements of your child’s favorite animals.  Take an imaginary trip to another environment, describe the surroundings, and see what your ducky does next.

Stretch.  Yoga experience not required.  Stretch tall like a tree, and keeping your legs straight, bend down to touch your toes.  Stretch your arms out wide and reach from one side to the other.  Next, have a seat and position her little legs into a diamond shape.  Can she bend over and smell her adorable stinky feet?

Place masking tape in a squiggly line on the floor.   Balance on it, walk along it, or jump over it.  Duct tape, masking tape, or packaging tape work great.  Any colored, thick tape that won’t ruin the floor or rug when removed will do.  This exercise is a great confidence booster once she accomplishes the specific task.

Follow the leader.  At this age, and especially at first, your being the leader is highly beneficial for your peanut to become familiar with the game.  Toddlers love to imitate.  Start small with clapping hands, making faces, or bouncing like a bunny.  And if your toddler can take the lead, absolutely encourage him!

Build a fort with pillows, sheets, and furniture.  Where art meets engineering, a great pillow fort is born.  Use lightweight sheets and blankets to drape between chairs, tables, or a sofa.  Anchor the sheets by tucking them into the furniture, or placing books on top.  Add pillows and cushions to the floor, and cuddle up.

Three words: Hide.   And.  Seek.  It may take a few practice rounds as this game is absolutely thrilling for most children, and they sometimes get too excited to stand still or be quiet.  Establish rules like staying on the first floor, and counting to 10 with eyes closed; then hide and seek behind furniture and corners.

Dance.  Internet radio and cable radio stations offer a plethora of choices to introduce your child to new sounds, rhythms, and tempos.  No need to stay on one channel for the whole song.  Get silly, get slow, and eventually use the pause or mute button for a fun game of freeze dance.  Shake your groove thing!

Enjoy an old fashion game of Simon Says.  Have your toddler put on his listening ears and practice following direction only if you say “Simon Says.”  Simons says arms over your head, moo like a cow, jump up high, run in place, give me a kiss.  If your child doesn’t wait for “Simon Says,” prepare for tickles!

Toy treasure hunt.   Enjoy the preparation as much as finding the toys.  Walk with your munchkin around the house and choose his favorite small toys.  Next make a pile of blankets, sheets, or freshly washed clothes, and bury the toys in the big pile.  Now dig in!  Can he tell which toy it is without first pulling it out?

Keep as many balloons in the air as possible.  The sight of a single balloon is one sure way to make a child smile.  But several balloons?  Now that’s a party!  Inflate four to six balloons and try to keep all of them simultaneously in the air.  Tap, pat, and swat your way to fun, all while ensuring a spacious place to play.

Now turn off the TV and get active.  It doesn’t take anything more than items around your house and a little imagination.  Bond with your child, be a positive role model and encourage independent movement with plenty of giggles along the way.

12 Physical Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Physical activity is an essential component of overall health and wellness. Getting regular activity offers short- and long-term benefits for your physical and mental health, including reducing your risk of disease, building stronger bones and muscles, increasing energy and decreasing stress levels. Exercise is essential for people throughout their lives, so we need to be educated on the benefits of exercise and how to incorporate daily physical activity as early as possible.

Early childhood services and childcare should include physical activity play as a key component of a child’s development. Services should offer play-based activities and games that combine physical activity with a child’s interests and abilities.

Read the full article or jump to different physical activities for kids to play in early years:

• Physical Activities for Toddlers
• Activities for Preschoolers

Why Is Physical Play for Toddlers and Preschoolers Important?

Children have high levels of energy that they need to expend, and the benefits of physical play are critical to a child’s physical and mental development. Children who are physically active tend to do better in school, have longer attention spans and have fewer behavioral problems. Being physically active also helps children to:

• Develop strong bones.
• Develop gross and fine motor skills.
• Build strength, endurance and flexibility.
• Build confidence.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Decrease stress levels.
• Improve social skills.
• Improve balance and coordination.
• Improve posture.
• Improve concentration.
• Improve sleep.

Lack of or not enough physical activity can cause several health issues for young children. A lack of exercise can lead to weight gain or excessive body fat, high blood pressure, bone health problems and cardiovascular diseases. Active children tend to have fewer chronic health issues, are less likely to get sick and have a greatly reduced risk of developing diseases or illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.

Being physically active now will benefit children throughout their lives, so integrating exercise into a young child’s everyday routine is crucial. If you’re wondering how to promote physical activity in early childcare years or need ideas for physical games and activities for preschoolers in the classroom, read on for some ideas!

Start entertaining your kids and browse our array of products at Playworld!

Browse All Products

Best Practices and Activities for Toddlers

Toddlers should be engaged in active play for at least 90 minutes a day. When awake, they shouldn’t be inactive for more than an hour at a time, and ideally, adults should make time for both indoor and outdoor playtime and structured and unstructured activities.

Structured Activities

Structured playtime involves pre-planned, teacher-led activities. Every activity should be:

• Vigorous.
• Inclusive of all children.
• Developmentally appropriate.
• Supportive of motor skill development.

Activities should keep every child moving. Avoid games that eliminate children from the activity, so they don’t become inactive.

Unstructured Activities

Free play is a time for toddlers to be creative and participate in the activities that interest them. During this time, teachers should remain peripherally involved by encouraging children to stay engaged in physical activity play, but they should also give children the space to be active in their individual interests.

Take advantage of outdoor physical activities for toddlers as often as possible and incorporate equipment to get children staying active while having fun. If outdoor playtime isn’t feasible, use spaces like a school gym, extra room or local YMCA to let children be active.

View Elementary Playground Equipment

Creating a Safe Environment for Physical Play

Before you begin planning activities for your preschoolers to play, you will need to create a safe and productive environment. Since children need structured and unstructured play, you can create a zone that can serve both. They can explore and play when it’s time for unstructured play in a space where they already feel comfortable and familiar.

Toddlers especially are in an exploratory period where many things pique their interest. However, they also have a unique way of exploring the world. Many toddlers will follow their curiosity and questions by putting things in their mouths, tossing toys around or testing the boundaries and limits of their environment and body. You can create a safe environment where toddlers can still follow their curiosity by:

• Going by their height: When adults set up play spaces for toddlers, it’s easy to cater to adult proportions and forget what the world looks like from a toddler’s height. Toddlers might be interested in items placed in higher spaces, leading them to try and climb to reach them. They can also fall or have organizers fall on them, potentially leading to injuries. Instead, try moving through your play space at their height by crawling or walking on your knees, which can help identify spaces that might tempt their curiosity.
• Considering furniture placement: As you set up your play area, consider how you place furniture and the overall layout. Because toddlers are still developing general and fine motor skills, they may have difficulty navigating tight spaces. However, a large open space may encourage running, leading to trips and collisions. Instead, you can use bookshelves, toy organizers and other larger furniture items to divide the room into smaller play areas. You can move some furniture around to create large temporary spaces for group activities.
• Organizing toys conveniently: You can help encourage exploration and independence in your preschoolers by organizing play items where they can easily access them. You can use open bins where children can sort through items they want to play with and keep utensils on low tables in cups or trays. Giving children easy access to toys can help them explore what they like and dislike to play with independently without asking for help.

By creating an environment with toddlers’ goals and actions in mind, you can allow them to explore and play in safe ways and add to their mental, physical and social development.

Indoor and Outdoor Physical Activities for Toddlers

Kids ages 1 to 3 are active, and they may like to walk, run, throw, kick and move, so they need to learn how to develop their motor skills while burning off their energy.

Physical activities for toddlers should use gross motor skills, which means using their major muscles in body parts like their legs and arms to do things like run, jump, spin and climb. Toddlers are just beginning to learn these movements, so give children plenty of practice with them through physical games and activities.

If you need physical development and active play ideas for toddlers in your care, check these out:

1.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

This indoor physical activity is great for toddlers’ physical development and socialization with no equipment necessary. In this exercise, children sit facing a partner with feet touching. They hold hands and lean forward and backward while singing the classic, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

2. Musical Hide and Seek

Play music from a phone and hide it from the children. You and the children can then search together to figure out where the music is coming from. This activity will be fun for the toddlers and will get them moving.

3. Build a Tower

For this activity, you’ll need a supply of blocks, containers with lids or another similar, stackable object. Using your item of choice, build a tower with a child. Take turns adding blocks or containers to the tower and see how high the child can stack them. You can count the number of stacked items together, and then when the tower is complete, the child can knock it down.

4. Toss Balls in a Basket

Give toddlers foam or rubber balls to roll back and forth to a partner. Older toddlers can toss the balls into a basket. During this activity, exercise caution with younger children who might bite foam balls. Avoid small balls that toddlers could put in their mouths and swallow.

5. Throw Sponges

This activity is great for a hot day. Children take wet sponges and toss them toward a container or bin. They can compare how far they can throw sponges of different sizes can be thrown or how different amounts of water affect the distance the sponge travels.

6. Imitate Animals

While on their hands and knees, toddlers move, stretch and play like animals. They can hop like a frog or waddle like a penguin. They can arch their backs, roll on their backs, reach as high as they can and walk on all fours. Choose a variety of animals and movements to keep children engaged and using their whole bodies to stay active.

7. Traffic Safety

Cut three circles from colored paper –– one red, one yellow and one green. Label the red circle “Stop,” the yellow circle “Slow” and the green circle “Go. ” Choose one child is chosen to be the traffic light, and they will hold up the green circle, the yellow circle and the red circle in turn.

The other children move forward when “Go” is held up, slow down when “Slow” is held up and freeze when “Stop” is held up. Take advantage of this fun active play idea to also teach toddlers about traffic safety.

8. Snake Dance

In this indoor physical activity, toddlers form a line to make a snake. They place their hands on the shoulders of the child in front of them, and the first child or the teacher leads them around the room or play area.

To make things a bit more exciting and challenging, the child at the front of the line can try to tag the child at the end. This will get kids moving faster!

9. Catching Feathers

Take feathers and toss them into the air for children to catch with their hands or in containers before they reach the ground. This will get toddlers moving and having fun!

If children are old enough, they can also each be given a feather and try to keep the feather in the air by blowing on it.

10. Follow the Leader

Stand in front of the children and tell them to watch you carefully and copy your moves. Touch your nose, hop on both feet, stomp in a circle or crawl on all fours. Choose simple actions and use large motor activities.

11. Hit the Balloon

Encourage toddlers to keep a balloon from touching the ground by hitting it with their hands. You can also place an item between two children, such as a chair or pillow, and instruct them to hit the balloon over the barrier to the other child. Chasing balloons allows children to run, zigzag and hop to keep up with the object while maintaining their balance.

12. Feed the Lion

On a cardboard box, draw or paint a lion’s head and cut a hole for the lion’s mouth. Children will take crumpled paper balls and try to toss them into the lion’s mouth. Afterward, children can count how many balls they fed the lion.

These games and activities will keep your toddlers engaged and have fun while active!

Best Practices for Preschooler Activity

Preschoolers should be physically active for two hours or more each day. It’s best to incorporate playing both indoor and outdoor games, like Duck, Duck, Goose or Musical Chairs into a preschooler’s day, along with structured and unstructured activities, such as running or jumping.

Physical activities led by adults should be planned ahead of time and engaging for preschoolers. Similar to playtime for toddlers, structured activities should be vigorous, inclusive of all children, aid physical development, and support the development of children’s motor skills. Activities should keep every child moving for the duration of the activity, so try to stick to games that include all children at all times.

Indoor and Outdoor Physical Activities For Preschoolers

Preschoolers, who are 3-5 years old, enjoy activities with more coordination, such as riding a tricycle, swimming or playing tag. Here are outdoor and indoor preschool fitness ideas, games and developmental activities geared toward preschoolers:

1. Duck, Duck, Goose

This indoor physical activity is perfect for preschoolers, particularly for those 4 years old and up. No equipment is necessary, and there really isn’t a limit on the number of players you need, though you’ll probably want at least four.

In Duck, Duck, Goose, children sit in a circle facing one another. One person is “It,” and they walk around the circle, tapping the heads of each player and calling each of them “Duck” until they call one player “Goose.” “Goose” will then stand from the circle and chase after “It” around the circle. “It” needs to reach the spot where “Goose” had been sitting before “Goose” catches them.

If “It” reaches the spot before getting tagged, “Goose” becomes “It.” If “It” gets tagged before reaching the spot, they sit in the middle of the circle until a new “It” is tagged.

Duck, Duck, Goose is great for getting kids moving quickly!

2. Musical Chairs

Use an adapted, no-lose version of this activity to keep all children up and moving while having fun. Place chairs in a row or in a circle facing outward. Play a song or have the children sing a short rhyme while circling the chairs. When the song is over, the children sit in the chair closest to them.

Continually change the movement with each new song, such as skipping, hopping or crawling to keep kids engaged and active.

3. Huckle Buckle Beanstalk

Children can play this game indoors or outdoors, although playing outside will definitely make for a bigger challenge! To start, children will form a circle and pick one person to stand in the middle of the circle. The person in the middle of the circle will choose an object to show to the others in the circle. Then while the other players have their eyes closed, the player in the middle will hide the object, return to the middle of the circle, and say “Huckle Buckle Beanstalk” to start the game.

All of the other players will search the area for the object. When they find the object, they’ll return to the circle and whisper, “Huckle Buckle Beanstalk.”

To play a no-lose version of this game, either wait until every player has found the object or start over once the first player finds the object. This way, every child can keep playing, and no one has to sit out.

4. Please, Mr. Crocodile, May We Cross the River?

Also shortened to Please, Mr. Crocodile, this is a fun, exciting game that requires no equipment and is a great preschool fitness idea.

All of the players stand beside each other on one side of the room or play area. Choose one of the players as Mr. or Ms. Crocodile, and they stand in the middle of the room. The players call, “Please, Mr. Crocodile, may we cross the river? If not, why not? What’s your favorite color?” Mr. Crocodile announces a color, and all the players wearing that color are safe to cross to the other side of the room past Mr. Crocodile.

After those players have crossed to the other side, the players who are not wearing the color Mr. Crocodile called out then try to run to the other side of the room without getting caught by Mr. Crocodile. Whoever gets caught becomes the next Mr. Crocodile.

5. What’s the Time, Mr.

Wolf?

This game is similar to Please, Mr. Crocodile, so if the kids enjoyed that game, be sure to try this one!

As with Please, Mr. Crocodile, all the players stand next to each other in a line. Mr. or Ms. Wolf is chosen and stands at least 10 feet away with their back to the other players. The players in line chant, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” Mr. Wolf calls out a time, and the other players move forward the same number of steps. For example, if Mr. Wolf calls out six o’clock, the players move forward six steps.

This continues until the players once again ask, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” and Mr. Wolf changes his response to, “Dinnertime!” All of the players will then turn around and run back to the starting point while Mr. Wolf chases after them. Whoever the wolf catches becomes the next Mr. Wolf.

6. Red Light, Green Light

Preschoolers line up side by side facing either a teacher or another player. The teacher stands on the other side of the room or space, facing the players. The teacher calls, “Green light!” Players run toward the teacher until the teacher yells, “Red light!” Then the players must freeze where they are.

The game continues until the players reach the teacher, and then the game starts over.

You can also include handheld signs that represent a green light and a red light for the teacher or child to hold up during the game.

7. Freeze Dance

Play a song for kids to dance to. Whenever you pause the song, they have to freeze in place. Kids will have fun dancing, and they’ll also develop skills for self-regulation, similar to games like musical chairs.

8. Bowling

Select items that are easy to knock over, like empty water or soda bottles, and set them up like pins in a bowling alley. Children can roll a ball toward the pins and see how many they can knock down. Have preschoolers count how many pins they managed to knock down. Let them roll a second time as they would in a real bowling alley. If they want, they can also write down their scores.

9. Hopscotch

While outdoors, take some chalk to a sidewalk or blacktop to draw blocks for your game of hopscotch. This game will get kids hopping, balancing and counting. You can also adapt this hopscotch game to be an indoor activity by using tape to set up your squares.

10. Jumping on Trampolines

For kids who are old enough, find an indoor trampoline park where they can go to jump on trampolines and hang out with their friends. Trampolines are a ton of fun and a great activity for some high-intensity exercise and improving balance. For children who are too young for a trampoline park, you can buy a trampoline for home that’s equipped with the right safety features to keep kids safe while they’re having fun.

Here are a few movements you can instruct them to perform:

11. Jump Over the River

If outdoors, you can use chalk to draw two parallel lines about a foot apart to create a river. Instruct children to jump over the river by bending at the knees, extending their arms behind their backs and swinging their arms forward when they take off and land on their feet on the other side. If indoors, use tape to create your river instead.

12. Field Day

The ultimate activity for preschoolers isn’t just one game — it’s a whole day of different physical activities for kids! Plan a field day with multiple activity stations full of movement and fun. This preschooler activity idea is adaptable for indoor or outdoor play and can be as complex or simple as you want to make it. You can use items from around the house, purchase some cheap supplies or select activities that only require the participants.

Have a timer on hand to keep the fun moving and ensure everyone gets a turn at each station. Now you’re ready to let the games begin! Check out these ideas for activity stations and choose several different physical activities for kids that your children would enjoy:

• Animal race: In this silly race, kids have to make it to the finish line while imitating an animal. Kids can do the crab walk, hop like a rabbit, waddle like a duck and more.
• Bowling: Find filled water bottles, empty food storage containers, plastic cups or other items that a child can easily knock over with a ball. Have kids line up along a piece of rope, yarn or tape and then see who can knock over the “bowling pins” the fastest.
• Cup stacking: Gather some empty plastic cups for this fun activity that challenges kids’ hand-eye coordination. Set a timer and see how fast kids can stack cups on a mat in a set structure. Choose a cup structure appropriate to the children’s skill level, like a pyramid tower five cups high.
• Obstacle course: Turn your field day into a giant obstacle course or use obstacle course activities at independent stations. You can have children jump through hula hoops on the ground, crawl through a tunnel of boxes and hop between shoes — the options for your activity stations are nearly endless!
• Exercises: You can also create an activity station with simple exercises that don’t require any equipment. Have different stations for kids to do jumping jacks, toe-touches and more.
• Cleanup race: The cleanup race makes the perfect final activity station for your field day. Plus, it gives you a breather after a busy day of fun. Have plastic bins at the ready and give everyone a time limit for picking up the field day supplies.

Get Active With Playworld

Outdoors is the best place for children to be active. While children can engage in physical activities and games indoors, these activities tend to be lighter in intensity than outdoor activities. Playgrounds provide an excellent opportunity for outdoor physical activity for toddlers, preschoolers and young children. Kids will have fun, expend energy and develop their gross and fine motor skills all at once. On a playground, they can climb, jump and swing while having fun with their friends.

Playworld has been providing kids with playgrounds for decades. We know physical activity play is essential in early childhood education and development, and we want to help the kids in your housing development and neighborhood have fun, get active and be healthy. With us, you can trust that kids are getting safe, quality physical activity while they’re having fun. Contact Playworld to get the playground your kids need.

Contact Us

All product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

Ideas for physical development classes for children

Movement and sports are the best prerequisites for maintaining health, the right perception of your body and well-being. Love for movement and a special need for it are most noticeable in children. Exciting and well-thought-out exercises support their pronounced desire to be active and provide them with opportunities for development.

From day to day we are waiting from the printing house for sets of the series “Physical development in kindergarten”:
nine0003

• ENTERTAINING PHYSICAL EDUCATION: 32 IDEAS FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT CLASSES FOR CHILDREN FROM 3 TO 7 YEARS. There are 32 cards in the set, which are grouped into 4 topics: “Floor exercises”, “Equipment and equipment”, “Sports equipment”, “Handy materials”. There are 8 lessons for each topic.

• THE TERRITORY OF GAMES AND ADVENTURES: 32 IDEAS FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT CLASSES FOR CHILDREN FROM 3 TO 7 YEARS. There are 32 cards in the set, which are grouped into 4 topics: “Around the World”, “People and Professions”, “Stories and Tales”, “Nature and Seasons”. For each topic, 8 options for organizing space are offered.
  nine0003

• TERRITORY OF MOVEMENT AND CREATIVITY: 32 IDEAS FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT CLASSES FOR CHILDREN FROM 3 TO 7 YEARS. There are 32 cards in the set, which are grouped into 4 themes: “Around the World”, “Entertainment”, “Stories and Fairy Tales”, “Time Machine”. For each topic, 8 options for organizing space are offered.

Contents of each card:

The purpose of each sports lesson is the development of children based on their own experience and physical activity in the following areas:
nine0003

• Motility. Covers all body movements, subdivided into large, small and articulatory. Includes the development of all abilities and skills related to physical culture.

• Cognition. Covers conscious and unconscious thinking, perception, speech and memory.

• Social competence. Requires discipline, determination, teamwork, responsibility, respect for each other and motivation.
  nine0003

• Sensorimotor. Represents the relationship between movement and individual senses (eg eyes, ears, hands).

• Psychomotor. Represents the relationship between mental processes (eg, perception, thinking) and motor motor processes.

The following factors contribute to the development of these areas:
nine0003

• Time. In order to give the child the opportunity to develop and strengthen his physical skills and coordination, it is important to choose the right time interval for the organization of physical activity.

• Involvement. By listening to children’s ideas, you support their independence, allowing them to feel self-efficacy and appreciation.

• nine0002
  Creativity. By stimulating the child’s imagination, you give him the opportunity to immerse himself in other worlds and get to know different points of view.

The themes of plot lessons allow to implement the content of the educational program in a playful way. A balanced combination of sports activity with the acquisition of new knowledge contributes to the comprehensive development of the child.

TO PURCHASE KITS, PLEASE CONTACT THE SALES DEPARTMENT [email protected].
nine0003

YOU WILL BE INTERESTED IN:

The series “Physical development in kindergarten” also includes kits:

• YOGA FOR CHILDREN. STORY BOX: 20 ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR CHILDREN 3 TO 9 YEARS OLD.

• YOGA FOR CHILDREN. STORY BOX: 20 ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR CHILDREN 3 TO 9 YEARS OLD.

what the activities for children are aimed at

Classes at the European Gymnastics Center are aimed not only at the harmonious physical development of the child from his first steps, but also perfectly contribute to his intellectual and psychological education. What are the differences between early development programs for children at the European Gymnastics Center and other popular Moscow circles, we will consider in our article.

Currently, a large number of developmental centers for children are operating in Moscow, starting from a year and a half and even earlier. Each of them chooses different ways of learning, based on the scientific works of well-known teachers, such as the Montessori, Zheleznov, Zaitsev methods, Waldorf pedagogy, Doman’s cards or Manichenko’s manuals.
nine0003

These classes are mostly aimed at developing intellectual as well as creative thinking. The program includes: teaching speech, logical thinking, counting, mathematical concepts, reading, studying the world around us, drawing, playing with various materials (plasticine, figures, sand, etc. ), as well as music and dance lessons, outdoor games.

Each of these pedagogical methods has its own characteristics. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous.
nine0003

For example, groups in Montessori circles or kindergartens are formed taking into account the inclinations, and not the age of the children. An important principle of this pedagogical technique is the absence of forcing the child to study and the development of independence. That is, children choose their own hobby and do it at their own pace. In this system, there are no uniform requirements and training programs; the teacher does not offer organized activities for kids. It is only sometimes suitable to show how to handle this or that material. It is believed that this approach develops independence in children.
nine0003

Waldorf pedagogy focuses mainly on the creative and spiritual development of the individual. In these circles, people study folk culture, fairy tales, songs, dances, myths, fine arts, as well as various forms of manual labor and crafts (needlework, baking cookies, bread, salad preparation, table setting, room cleaning).

Zaitsev’s method helps children learn to read quickly and with interest.

nine0027 Methodology Glenn Doman is the relationship of physical and intellectual development. The doctor promoted the idea of ​​the early development of the motor intelligence of the child and argued that physical exercises from the first months of his life would contribute to the good development of thinking. And from 3-6 months, the doctor recommends starting to show the baby cards that allow him to learn to read, count and gain knowledge about the world around him.

Cecile Lupan also considered active physical exercise at an early age to be the key to the successful development of the intellect. In her opinion, the more time parents devote to massage, swimming, physical education, gymnastics, the faster the child will begin to sit, crawl, walk. Thanks to this method of development, the child will be significantly ahead of his peers both physically and intellectually.
nine0003

Of course, each of these methods of early development of the child will bring him great benefits, especially at an older age. But, if we talk about children under 4 years old, then in each of them there are controversial points, such as age restrictions, the predisposition of the child’s character, his ability to concentrate, perseverance and, in general, the manifestation of interest in the proposed activities. Therefore, when choosing a mug, parents should first of all pay attention to the needs and interests of the baby.
nine0003

At the same time, it should be noted that modern children’s centers are mainly aimed at the intellectual development of children, while due to their age they need to move a lot in order to spend energy and, most importantly, be healthy.

In addition, classes in developing circles last an hour and a half and are mostly held at a table in small rooms. Despite the game format, lessons for the development of fine motor skills, speech, logical thinking, teaching numbers, letters, first of all, require good perseverance, attentiveness, concentration, patience and, most importantly, interest from children. But, as a rule, most children under the age of 3-4 years are not able to maintain all these qualities for a long time. If the child is energetic, then it is even more difficult to keep his attention.
nine0003

Many children’s centers, in addition to developing activities, offer sports or dance. But in connection with the different orientation of these circles and, accordingly, the small size of the premises, physical activity occupies a far from the first role here. While sport and harmonious physical development is the key to human health at any age, and especially children.

Parents should not forget that children need to move from their first months of life. With the help of movement, they develop the fastest, learn about the world around them, constantly receive new information. All children need to run, jump, climb and enjoy it. If a child is limited in physical activity, then he will develop poorly intellectually.
nine0003

Therefore, sports, and in particular recreational gymnastics, should be present in the schedule of each child.

This sport has a great effect on harmonious physical, intellectual and psychological development.

Physiotherapist Glen Doman explained the need for an early start in the physical development of children by the fact that the child’s brain grows through its constant use, and this growth is actually completed by the age of six. The sooner a child starts moving, the faster his brain will develop.
nine0003

Children with high physical activity are physically perfect, have increased immune resistance, proper physique, good thinking and psyche. Movement allows the child to constantly receive new information about the environment, about their capabilities. He learns to control his body, to feel it in space, to comprehend successful and unsuccessful attempts, to come up with new forms of movement.

Thus, a special ability of the brain is acquired – motor intelligence, thanks to which the child can feel confident in any conditions and be head and shoulders above peers who do not go in for sports.
nine0003

Training at the European Gymnastics Center for children from 1 year old is built in a playful way, but at the same time it is aimed at achieving good results. Thanks to this, it is much easier for kids to absorb new information.

Children, not noticing the difficulties, learn to perform interesting and complex exercises on apparatuses, jump on a trampoline, crawl along an obstacle course, wall bars, play with balls and in a pool with colored foam rubber cubes. These tasks help to form a muscular corset in children, correct posture, coordination of movements, endurance, and flexibility.
nine0003

The club is equipped with modern French equipment from GYMNOVA – the official supplier of the Olympic Games, World and European Championships. It consists of children’s and adult gymnastic equipment, including bars, balance beam, rings, trampolines, a trampoline and inflatable acrobatic track, a foam pit, and a Swedish wall. In addition, there are a variety of interesting colored modules for the obstacle course and gymnastic attributes (balls, rings, jump ropes).

This equipment allows you to make training for the youngest athletes interesting, active, useful and most importantly safe.
nine0003

Even at such a young age, kids are interested in gymnastics, during which they gradually begin to learn discipline and the ability to concentrate on the coach’s tasks. And the gym with bright soft and varied equipment becomes a dream and expanse for every child, where he can have fun in the company of peers.

In the process of training, coaches use an individual motivational approach to children, which forms their passion and love for sports, which brings joy, pleasure and great health benefits. Gymnastics helps children to become active, courageous, purposeful and self-confident.
nine0003

Doctors actively recommend health-improving gymnastics and note its positive impact on children’s health. Statistical and scientific studies show that the health of all children involved in gymnastics improves dramatically after a few months after the start of training.

Classes in the youngest group from 1.5 to 3 years old are accompanied by parents and a coach, and from 3 years old children already begin to study on their own only under the guidance of a coach.
nine0003

The benefits of early childhood development at the European Gymnastics Center:

Highlights:

– Children can start classes in the club from the age of 1 – kids are active and inquisitive, already physically and mentally ready to perform various gymnastic exercises in the company of peers, under the guidance of parents and a coach;

– Gymnastics is aimed at the qualitative development of the child’s motor intelligence from the first steps; nine0028

nine0027 Types of early child development at the European Gymnastics Center:

– Physical, intellectual, psychological.

Physical development:

– Health-improving gymnastics can be practiced by people of all ages and abilities, but it is most useful in childhood, when the growing organism is actively developing.

– Lack of exhausting workouts, heavy physical exertion and injury risk;
nine0003

– Harmonious physical development, the formation of a muscular corset, correct posture, coordination, endurance and flexibility;

– Modern, safe, diverse, colored gymnastic equipment;

– Professional coaches who use the game method and individual motivational approach to children.

Intellectual development:

1) Development of thinking:

– Development of coordination of movements, which affects the nervous system and thinking through learning new exercises, various options for their implementation, finding ways to solve problems correctly, overcoming obstacles;

– Formation of imaginative thinking – during training, children perform many exercises with the names of animals, for example, hang like monkeys, walk like dogs or crawl like snakes. Thus, children develop imaginative thinking.
nine0003

2) Development of fine motor skills, sensory sensations:

– During training, children perform exercises on shells, climb various stairs and obstacles, play balls, jump rope, build pyramids from foam rubber cubes. These tasks help them develop and strengthen their arm muscles and perform precise movements. In addition, in the gym, the guys have the opportunity to touch and examine each item, find out what it is called and what it is for, play with it, thanks to which sensory sensations develop.
nine0003

3) Learning more:

– Learning colors, shapes, figures – all gymnastic equipment in the hall is designed for early development of children. Gymnastic modules for the obstacle course, as well as sports attributes (balls, ropes, rings, foam rubber cubes) consist of many different shapes and colors that children learn during classes.

In addition, the trainer offers the kids tasks during which they need to focus on the colors. For example, an exercise: get only yellow balls from the Swedish wall or build a tower of red and blue foam rubber cubes.
nine0003

– Learning to count – during exercises, children must count the number of times they have completed, the coach helps them with this;

– Constantly receiving new information from the coach about the exercises and how to perform them.

4) Training of memory, attentiveness and concentration.

– During training, children need to memorize the names of the exercises, the correctness of their implementation and their mistakes. Also, the coach regularly offers a set of exercises, such as a jump combination on a trampoline or a long sequence of tasks on an obstacle course, which perfectly train memory, concentration, attentiveness and coordination of movements.
nine0003

As an example, it should be noted that very few children aged 3-4 years are ready to repeat complex combinations correctly the first time.