Motor Skills

Children go outside a couple of times a day for play time. Running around, climbing, swinging, digging in the sand and riding bikes all provide excellent opportunities to grow and develop. In addition we take walks; collecting leaves for a project with our buddies recently, searching for salamanders several weeks ago and/or playing in the back field.

In addition to these large motor activities, we seek opportunities to provide children with sensory motor activities. These activities stimulate children and/or calm children down. Some children need spinning activities that provide them with proprioceptive feedback. Some children benefit from fidget toys to help them keep their hands busy, while their attention focuses on the task at hand. We have a large standing desk that we borrowed from another classroom that allows a child to swing their legs or stand up while they do their work. In the photos, a child is walking down the hallway inside a large piece of stretchy fabric that provides a workout while walking, or a way to pull and stretch muscle groups. The hanging swing is a comfortable, nurturing space to enjoy or the chance to swing in a circle for more proprioceptive input. These activities all lay a foundation on which we build academic skills.