21 Physical Health and Well-Being

Introduction

Research shows that there is a correlation between a child’s physical wellbeing, health, and motor development to early development and learning. Physical health and well-being are essential to school readiness. In infants and toddlers, movement and sensory stimulation are the major contributors to brain development and are crucial to cognitive development.

Movement

The health problems associated with obesity not only impact adults but children as well. As an educator, you can and may be uniquely qualified to help children develop healthy eating, age-appropriate physical activity, and limited screen time viewing habits to help them avoid childhood obesity. The Motion Moments videos will show you simple ways to weave physical activity into your early care and education program.

Video: Motion Moments: Toddlers^[1]

Sensori-Motor Development

Small and large muscle development is closely linked to children’s language, cognitive, social, and emotional development. For example:

• Babbling is connected to language development
• Grasping objects, dumping, and picking up is connected to cognitive development
• Smiling and eye contact is connected to social development
• Turning of the head toward familiar adult voices is connected to emotional development

Health and nutrition are necessary for physical and motor development. Besides, quality education and care, families need access to:

• Comprehensive health care (immunizations, well-baby checkups, and screenings)
• Safe and healthy environments (pesticide-free, safe homes, and neighborhoods, lead-free spaces, safe and adequate water and air quality)
• Healthy nutrition and food choices
• Healthy movement (to prevent childhood obesity)

Teaching Tips

The learning guidelines for physical health and wellbeing for infants are to:

• Develop the ability to move large muscles (gross motor).
• Develop an ability to control and refine small muscles (fine motor).
• Develop sensorimotor skills where children use their senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch – to guide and integrate their interactions.
• Develop skills that will develop into healthy practices for life.
• Gain control over their movements as they reach out, grasp, and release objects.

Physical Activity

To promote physical activity in an infant classroom make sure to provide an uncluttered floor space of at least 5 X 7 feet. The play space should be out of the educator’s walking path. The play space should avoid being near shelving or objects that could fall, as well as rocking chairs or other potential hazards.

It is important to create an environment that is comfortable for educators to be on the floor level when interacting with infants. This will encourage you to sit with infants when you provide lots of tummy time. During tummy time encourage the infant to play, roll, scoot, crawl, and move about actively several times during the day.

You want to provide toys that are soft, large, and lightweight. Look for materials that encourage the infant to reach, grasp, and hold by providing materials such as blocks, stacking toys, nesting cups textured balls, and squeeze toys.

Avoid toys with small parts, such as buttons that can be removed to prevent choking. Check fabric toys for tight seams; make sure stuffing cannot be pulled out. Be aware and don’t use toys with strings or cords.

Outdoor Time

Take infants outdoors each day, as weather permits even if for 5-10 minutes each time. Infants should avoid direct or reflected sunlight. While outdoors, talk to infants about new sights and sounds, such as green grass and birds singing.  If you bring a large sheet or blanket and place it in a shady area on level ground free of rocks, sticks, or other objects such as insects you can have more tummy time!

The learning guidelines for physical health and wellbeing for toddlers are to:

• Develop the ability to move large muscles (gross motor)
• Develop the ability to control and refine small muscles (fine motor)
• Develop sensorimotor skills
• Develop skills that will develop into healthy practices for life

To encourage movement in a toddler classroom, make sure to provide equipment and materials for indoor and outdoor play such as:

• Pretend play tools (digging tools, small brooms)
• Child-sized musical instruments
• Pedal and non-pedaled riding and push toys
• Large, soft balls and toys
• Large blocks
• Objects to safely climb up, jump down, and crawl through
• Have two or more of each item because toddlers take what they want

To encourage different types of movement, securely tape a hula hoop or use tape to mark out a large circle on the floor. Let children practice stepping and then jumping in and out of the circle. Count jumps out loud to integrate number vocabulary. Vary activity by placing 2-3 hoops so they touch each other.

While playing music or singing, encourage children to stand with legs apart, knees bent, and rock left to right with the rhythm. Sway and dance to the music.

Set up a simple obstacle course, both indoors and outdoors. The course should encourage children to climb over, under, through, around, in, and out. Toddlers can:

• Crawl over large cushions
• Crawl through tunnels made of sheets or large cardboard boxes
• Step into and out of a hula hoop laid flat on the ground
• Walk over squares of different surfaces such as grass, carpet squares, sand, and pea gravel

Use balls for catching and throwing. Sit across from the toddler with legs spread apart. Say “Here comes the ball” and roll a large ball toward the child. The child will trap the ball with his legs, arms, and chest. Encourage the child to roll the ball back to you. As skill develops, repeat with various sizes of balls. You can even roll old socks into balls and practice tossing the socks into a large laundry basket. Let children decide what distance they stand from the basket. Integrate colour recognition and vocabulary by using various coloured socks.

For a sensory experience, fill a small bucket with clean water and soak small sponges. Encourage children to throw the wet sponges at the side of a building or onto a flat surface. Watch the water splash and see the mark the water makes.

Lead children in creative movement—sway like a tree, swim like a fish and jump like a frog. This is a wonderful transition activity such as when waiting to go outdoors. Describe an animal that most children have seen. Ask children to show what that animal does. Read stories about animals. Act out the movements in the story.

While walking outdoors, point out and encourage children to stop and pick up leaves or other objects. Put the objects in a basket to explore later. Practice balance skills by walking on a wide wooden plank placed flat on the ground.

Chapter Attribution

Chapter adapted from Enhance Physical Health and Well-Being in Infant and Toddler Education and Care by Susan Eliason, CC BY-NC-SA.