Introduction Picture a preschooler hopping from one colorful number mat to the next, arms flailing with excitement. To an outsider, it might look like simple play - but inside that child's brain, millions of neural connections are firing, laying the foundation for...
Why AI is the New Frontier in Early Childhood Education Imagine a world where an affordable robot buddy helps preschoolers stay active and healthy. With physical activity in 3–5-year-olds on the decline, researchers are getting creative—and AI-powered robots...
Discover how early childhood educators can support preschoolers in developing physical literacy through fun, engaging activities. By incorporating movement into everyday routines, you can help children build confidence, coordination, and a lifelong love of being active, all while fostering their overall physical, social, and emotional development.
Balance is the ability to maintain control over the body and is an important skill in everyday tasks such as walking, sitting, dressing, or riding a bike. Balance begins to develop in infancy. The child first learns to maintain control over their head, then as core...
Having good climbing skills is important for all children as this allows them to be physically active and interact socially on the playground. The adventurous spirit is alive and well in most toddlers and young children. As they find their feet, the whole environment...
What is Physical Activity? Physical Activity (PA) can be defined as any movement of the body which requires the expenditure of energy. Activities can be moderate and not really cause us to huff and puff such as walking slowly, reaching, balancing, painting at an...
Engaging in risky play provides children with immense learning opportunities: Improve gross motor skills. Use motor planning and sequencing skills to execute complex movements. Think about consequences as part of risk assessment. Improves visuospatial skills. Often...
Why is jumping important? The 2018 Active Healthy Kids Australia Report Card recently highlighted declines in the jumping ability of Australian children and young people which indicate that ‘it’s time for a jump start’ for muscular fitness. When we think about the...
Professor Leon Straker discusses the impact of electronic gaming on the health of young children.
What does it mean to cross the midline? Think of an imaginary line extending from the top of your head down the centre of your body. This is the midline – which theoretically separates the left and right side of the body.To be able to cross the midline is a...
Learning the fundamental motor skill of kicking begins in the early years but does not usually mature until the age of 6-7 years. Kicking skills will continue to be refined over the years with practice and coaching.The enjoyment toddlers experience with learning to...
The Hop is a Fundamental Movement Skill Before learning to hop on one leg, young children will need to have developed some degree of dynamic balance and have the ability to jump with both feet clearing the ground. Hopping is a more advanced skill and usually develops...