Physical activity is one of the most important things children will do. Not only is physical activity great for physical development, but it also aids in cognitive growth as well. The movement involved with physical activity can help with both gross and fine motor development in children, and the cognitive function of children often increases with the increased oxygen and break from formal learning activities. Children also learn best through play, and most play activities for children involve physical movement.
Pretend Play
One type of physical activity is pretending. Children can pretend in many types of environments. Not only can they be creative on the playground, but they can also pretend in the classroom kitchen. On the playground, they might pretend to be explorers, daycare/ schoolteachers, or even performers. They will often put together an entire scenario for their time outside. This activity aids in physical development because they help the gross motor skills of climbing, jumping, running, or tumbling. Additionally, children learn the fine motor skills related to drawing in the sand or creating art projects. Moreover, cognitive and social development surges through the exploration of roles in the classroom, world, and occupations, as well as the norms of interaction in social situations.
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills develop throughout our lifetimes. We think about gross motor skills as being able to throw a ball or jump rope, but we fail to consider that stirring a cake batter or pushing a vacuum also uses large muscle movements. These movements are helpful for the rest of your child’s life, so getting physical activity through playing games can be beneficial for more than a baseball game or race.
Fine Motor Skills
Most exercises revolve around gross motor skills, but fine motor skills are on display too. For example, exercising sometimes requires that we hold our hands in specific ways or restrict movement. Using these muscle groups allows our bodies to adjust to many situations over time. These motor skills are vital to writing, page-turning, and turning knobs and keys.
Cognitive Development
Oxygen aids cognitive development. Physical activities often require deeper breathing and exertion. Studies have shown that children who participate in more than just academic activities and include physical movement fare better than children whose focus is primarily academic. The brain needs rest time to solidify the new information, and often, the combination of a break and oxygen from physical activity is just what the brain needed.
Final Thoughts
Physical activity is tremendous for physical development, but don’t forget that it is ripe with benefits both cognitively and socially. Children can explore the world around them through physical activities. Incorporate physical and pretend play to maximize the use of cognitive, social, and physical development. Even sliding on the slide can turn into a secret passage to a walk on Mars or even an imaginary planet of peanut butter monsters. Children can explore how the surface might look, pretend to dig or fight the monsters, or even learn teamwork when they try to navigate their imaginary lands. Physical activity can lead to unimaginable growth.
https://nanniesandkidsunited.com/what-everyone-must-know-about-a-nanny-tax-calculator/
One thought on “The Importance of Physical Activity for Children”