PLAYFUL MOVES | Children do not need reminders to move, but they do need opportunities to intentionally move through play! My son recently turned three but has developed an interest in basketball. He sees his dad play basketball and often imitates certain moves. Even when his dad is not around, he wants to play basketball! Through these simple replays, he is remembering, imitating, modeling, imagining, and physically moving. His dad has taught him how to hold the ball, bounce, and shoot. Though the basketball goal is higher, he made the connection that he needed to be taller to reach the goal by asking me, “Mommy lift me up.” He also likes to grab his favorite “basketball shoes” he calls them when he plays because he sees his dad wearing them.
Children use these imagination and role-playing skills as they Explore Through Movement and Play.
Often by finding specific activities that your child enjoys, you can follow up with future related activities
that may help to work on similar skills. For example, since I see that he enjoys basketball, even when we
are at home, I like to incorporate other materials to work on using the same skills in movement and play.
One material I have used are socks and a laundry basket. He must run to grab the sock balls and throw
them in the laundry basket. We have also used scrap paper balls and the trash can as well to also
encourage similar movement. The possibilities are endless as long as you find what interests your child
and allow children to have fun while they are moving and playing!
–By Airreia Pierce | Visit Airreia’s website | Follow her on Facebook
