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 focus, memory, and problem-solving skills that will last a lifetime.

Yet in many early learning environments, physical activity and academic learning are still treated as separate parts of the day. Movement happens during outdoor play, while “real learning” is expected to happen indoors, seated at a table.

But neuroscience tells a different story: movement and cognition are deeply intertwined.

In the early years, children’s brains are rapidly developing – forming critical pathways through experiences that are active, sensory-rich, and social. Movement isn’t a break from learning; it’s a catalyst for it. Whether hopping through number mats, crawling under tables in an obstacle course, or mimicking animal poses during a story, each action strengthens the brain networks children need to think, remember, and focus.

Educators and allied health professionals who understand this motor–cognition connection can design learning experiences that are not only more engaging — but more effective.

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How Movement Builds Stronger Brains

Children are not miniature adults. Their brains develop best when they are active participants — literally moving through their world. Research from developmental neuroscience and occupational therapy highlights why physical activity is so critical for brain growth:

Improved Attention and Focus

Physical activity boosts blood flow and oxygen to the brain, heightening alertness and improving concentration. Studies show that short bursts of movement before or during learning tasks help preschoolers stay on task longer — and with greater focus.

Example: A quick “wiggle-and-freeze” dance before mat time can dramatically increase children’s ability to sit, listen, and engage.

Enhanced Executive Function

Executive functions — working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-control — are the foundation for school readiness and lifelong learning. Activities that involve coordination, rhythm, and sequencing (like clapping patterns or obstacle courses) directly strengthen these brain skills.

Example: Clapping games, simple obstacle courses, or rhythm activities with scarves can sharpen memory and flexible thinking.

Strengthened Neural Pathways

When children climb, balance, crawl, and repeat motor challenges, they stimulate the development of myelinated nerve pathways — the “superhighways” that allow brain regions to communicate quickly and efficiently.

Example: Repeated experiences like crawling through tunnels or balancing on beams lay down the neural architecture for smoother thinking and faster information processing.

Boosted Language and Numeracy Skills

Movement engages multiple senses — visual, auditory, tactile, and vestibular — making learning richer and more memorable. Moving while learning, like jumping while counting or forming letters with their bodies, strengthens early literacy and numeracy skills.

Example: Children who hop along a taped alphabet path while saying letter sounds tend to remember them better than those who sit and memorize flashcards.

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Bringing Movement into Cognitive Learning: Practical Strategies

Integrating movement into early learning doesn’t require a major curriculum overhaul. Here are playful, research-informed ways to embed physical activity into cognitive learning every day:

1. Active Transitions: Turning Everyday Moments into Brain Boosts

Even routine transitions can become powerful opportunities for learning and regulation when you add movement.

Try:

• Hop to line up: Have children hop once for each syllable of their name as they make their way to the line.

• Animal walks to the mat: Slither like snakes, stomp like elephants, or crawl like bears on the way to group time.

• Stretch-and-breathe breaks: Before switching activities, invite everyone to reach up high like growing trees, then exhale slowly and fold forward like “sleepy flowers.”

• March to music while cleaning up: Play upbeat tunes and encourage children to march, tiptoe, or sway while tidying the room.

Short bursts of movement like these provide a motor “reset,” regulate energy levels, and prepare the brain for the next focused learning task.

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2. Whole-Body Learning Games: Making Academic Content Active

Physical activity and academic learning don’t have to be separate — they can (and should!) happen together.

Try:

• Math: Hop along a taped number line, search the room for hidden shapes, or toss beanbags into baskets labeled with sums.

• Literacy: Play letter hopscotch, form letters with your bodies, or act out verbs in a storytelling game.

• Science: Move like the weather — sway like the wind, stomp like thunder, twirl like a tornado — or act out animal life cycles.

When children engage their whole bodies in learning, they’re not just remembering information — they’re embodying it.

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3. Movement During Story Time: Deepening Engagement Through Action

Storytime can be a rich opportunity for sensory and motor learning — not just passive listening.

Try:

• Act it out: Invite children to act like animal characters as they appear in the story.

• Add gestures: Attach simple movements to key repeated phrases (e.g., a stomp, clap, or twirl).

• Story yoga: Incorporate yoga-style poses to match story elements — stretch tall like a tree, curl up like a sleeping bear, or sway like a river.

Physical storytelling helps anchor vocabulary, narrative structure, and emotional connections — and keeps young learners joyfully engaged.

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Movement Strategies for Children with Diverse Needs

Movement-rich learning is especially powerful for children who experience:

• ADHD or attention challenges

• Sensory processing differences

• Speech or language delays

• Developmental delays

To support diverse learners:

• Offer movement choices: “Would you like to hop or crawl to the mat?”

• Use visual cues and clear routines: Picture cards showing the next movement step.

• Create predictable movement breaks: Build regular motor resets into the day so energy and focus are managed proactively.

Movement provides alternative pathways for understanding and expressing ideas — empowering all children to participate meaningfully in learning.

Programs like Animal Fun, which blend motor skills with imaginative, animal-themed play, offer a structured yet playful way to support both physical and cognitive growth — using movement as a bridge to deeper learning.

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Conclusion

The more children move, the more they learn – not just physically, but cognitively.

By intentionally pairing motor activity with early learning goals, educators and allied health professionals help young learners build stronger brains, sharpen executive function, and foster a lifelong love of learning.

When a child leaps across a “river of letters,” crawls like a caterpillar through a math obstacle course, or roars like a lion during story time, they’re not just playing – they’re forming neural networks, building resilience, and anchoring new knowledge deeply into both their bodies and minds.

Movement isn’t a distraction from learning. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to help children grow, explore, and succeed.
Let’s embrace it – and watch young minds soar.