Physical Activity for Preschoolers

Being physically active is more than exercising and playing sports. For children it is a time to work on physical development skills and a time to have fun. When I think of physical activity I think of getting on a treadmill or popping in a workout dvd, and the annoyance that the whole process in its self is, however for children it shouldn’t be about the “exercise” and more about the fun and importance for their bodies and their development.

            So why is physical activity important for preschool aged children?

·         Children build their locomotor skills by running, jumping, skipping, or any movement that allows them to get from one place to another.

·         Children build their manipulative skills by throwing, kicking and catching a ball, swinging a bat or playing basketball.

·         It helps their bodies expend extra calories to keep them in their healthy weight zone, which will decrease their chances for obesity.

·         Allows children to burn off extra energy.

·         It can also be a time for parents/teacher and children to have fun together and become closer.

Learning mastery skills such as locomotor and manipulative skills are important for children; they are not skills that they learn on their own. These skills are used for a life time in their everyday activities, sports, games and any physical activity. Being able to master these skills will allow them to function normally. If a child does not learn these skills early on, they will start school in kindergarten with developmental delays. “However, as with many other skills, young children must learn and practice these skills until they can proficiently participate in a variety ofgames and sports”(Goodway, & Robinson, 2006).

            When children do not participate in physical activity their bodies are not able to burn up the extra calories that their foods provide, thus storing them as fat. Childhood obesity is on the rise and many children that suffer from childhood obesity are more at risk for health issues later in their adult lives. Children that are overweight or obese struggle with their self-image and self-esteem. “Mentally and emotionally, obesity lowers self-esteem and has a powerful affect on peer relationships and social acceptance” (Robertson, 2010. p. 262).

            Parents of children that are overweight or obese can make small changes in their lives to obtain a healthy weight. Portion control is a small change that can make a big difference. Offering a child the right amounts of foods that are less healthy and more foods that are healthy can have a huge difference in their caloric input. Supervising and limiting T.V, computer and game time and offering more physical activity will help their children burn off the extra calories their children consume.

            There are numerous ways to engage in physical activity. For children if an activity is fun they are more likely to stick with it, also if their parents or caregiver is involved in the activity it gives them time together while being active and having fun with one another. Adults can plan games outside that include physical activity, they can dance, run, create obstacle courses and more to get their children up and moving.

            My favorite activities to do with my preschool aged children are playing tag or hide-n-seek and dancing! Both of these activities offer them physical activity while working on their locomotor skills. Being able to run and chase one another or find each other hiding is a lot of fun. My daughters think it is so funny to chase one another and tag each other. When we play hide-n-seek they can barely contain their laughter as they hide! When our days seem long, or it’s raining outside I turn on some music and we dance, we dance fast and we dance silly, but it is so much fun for them. When children are having fun they don’t realize that they are doing something good for their bodies! My husband likes to come home and teach them to play soccer. Children love kicking and throwing balls, this also allows them to work on manipulative skills too. Playing a game of soccer is physically active, and also works on both sets of skills at once! 

           

            The MyPyramid food guidance for Americans has a component for physical activity and food intake that shows you how to balance each other out.  It encourages physical activity for all ages and physical activity levels. “It recommends that children be physically active for 60 minutes a day on most days” (Robertson, 2010. p. 265).  Most people think that this means 60 consecutive minutes, but most children do not have the attention span or activity level to be physically active or play for 60 consecutive minutes. This time can be split up into 20 minute increments throughout the day. So you could plan 3 physical activates for children to do through the day. Having breaks of physical activity is good for kids, it helps them get the activity they need and also lets them get the jitters out so that they can focus on more sedentary activities in the classroom. 

            My philosophy on physical activity is simple, physical activity is important for everyone, but for children their development depends on it. Get outside and play with your kids, take them on a walk, play kickball or just dance, but whatever the activity or activities are make sure they are getting at least 60 minutes a day and make it FUN!!

References:

Goodway, J, & Robinson, L. (2006, May).Skipping toward an active start, promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education 4th addition. Belmont, CA: WadsWorth.