We provide experiences to our children that recognise that physicality underpins all other areas of a child’s development. The connection between the brain, body and movement is crucial in delivering a curriculum that supports children to develop hoslistically. We provide real life opportunities to play outdoors in natural environements to encourage children to use their whole body and muscles and to develop their core strength. We provide opportunities to develop children’s gross motor skills and also to develop precision through fine motor control.
Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage – definition:
Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practise of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence.
