Creating Opportunities for meaningful movement and purposeful play

1. Creating Opportunities for meaningful movement and purposeful play Kristi Mally, PhD Summer 2012

2. Welcome … I’m so Glad you Came! I’m so glad you came, I almost couldn’t wait. Can you _________ as we count to eight? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!

3. SMILE, LAUGH, ENJOY

4. Hello Neighbor, what do you say? It’s gonna be a wonderful day So clap your hands and boogie on down Give us a bump and turn around

5. 5 in 10 – Physical Activity Fun

6. Why am I here? • Share my Passion – encourage you to share yours with every child, every day • Share my Knowledge about young children & movement … encourage you to infuse movement into every day for every child • Share Resources – encourage you to use what is available

7. Agenda • Who • Why • What • How • When, Where, with What • Conclusions and Resources

8. WHO

9. Children ≠ Miniature Adults

10. Developmental Continuum • Reflexive, Spontaneous = infants • Rudimentary = infants, toddlers • Fundamental Movement Skill phase = toddlers, preschool, school aged • Specialized Movement Skill Phase = typically begins around 7-10 years of age

11. Motor Development is … • Continuous & Cumulative • Age-related • Sequential, yet individual • Susceptible to stimulation • Plastic • Holistic & Integrated

12. Continuous and Cumulative Continuity versus Discontinuity

13. Age-Related NOT Age-Determined Maturation versus Development

14. Sequential but Individual • Pattern of development is fairly predictable = Sigmoid Curve • Rate of development is individual

15. Positive Stimulation • Movement experiences = chief architect of the brain • Early experiences completely change an individual’s path

16. Think about it! • What physical activity-related experiences have you had, that if you had not had, would have caused you to be a very different mover than you are today?

17. Plasticity • Window of Opportunity • Readiness

18. Holistic and Integrated IndividualTask Structural Functional Environment Physical Socio/cultural

19. Newell’s Triangle – Everything Matters

20. Young Children ….

21. WHY

22. Story of the Sea Squirt Mind Body

23. Physical – Health Benefits • Gross motor and fine motor development • Coordination and control of body • Strength and stability development • Healthy weight maintenance • Brain development • Integration of senses • Decreases chances of developing adult diseases • Type 2 diabetes • High blood pressure • Coronary artery disease • High cholesterol

24. Value of Movement … • Social and Emotional Benefits ~ Emotional Locomotion • Creative, expressive Benefits ~ Jumpin’ Jack Freeze, Yes Game • Language & Literacy Benefits ~ What’s on my Feet? , The Great Alphabet Hunt • Logical Reasoning Benefits ~ Movement Solvers • Mathematical Benefits ~ Hey Everybody let’s make a shape • Science Benefits ~ Indoor nature trail • Social Studies Benefits ~ Home Dance

25. Physical Activity Guidelines • Infants – daily, active exploration • Toddlers – 60-90 min/day • Preschools – 90-120 min/day • School Age – 60 min/day • Indoor & outdoor • Structured & unstructured

26. WHAT

27. Movement Foundation

28. Locomotor – Traveling Skills Walk Run Jump Hop Gallop Slide Skip Leap Recycling Locomotion No Vacancy – Fill this Space From Here to There How did you get there? Around and Around

29. Non-Locomotor – Balance Skills Reach Bend Swing Sway Push Pull Wiggle Twist Curl Freeze Body Part Touch and Go Magical Zoo Secret Movement Bag

30. Object Control – Manipulative Skills Throw Toss Catch Kick Strike Volley Dribble The Great Exchange T-Shirt Fun Throw (or kick) and Go Roly Poly – Find Me

31. Movement Concepts • Space Awareness ~ Where my body moves • Effort Awareness ~ How my body moves • Relational Awareness ~ With myself, others or objects Clean up the Field Over Under Around and Through Shape Shifting - Transformers

32. HOW …being a successful facilitator of purposeful play

33. Movement Experiences for Young Children • Playful • Positive • Success Oriented • Individually-Based • Inviting & Relevant • Flexible & Adaptable • Facilitated & Reinforced • Integrated • Purposeful & Meaningful

34. Facilitation Roles • Plan • Observe • Model • Extend • Respond • Sportscast • Integrate • Include • Support

35. WHEN • Young children are intermittent, inefficient movers who prefer short intervals of physical activity dispersed throughout the entire day GOAL – explicitly plan and allocate intervals throughout the day for movement

36. WHERE • Movement can occur anywhere and much of what young children need is related to developing strength, stability and balance which does not require much space at all. GOAL – view your space in terms of its movement potential

37. WITH WHAT • First and foremost all we need to participate in movement is our own bodies, but almost anything can be used as a movement tool. GOAL – view all objects as potential tools for movement

38. What could you do with this?

39. Wrap Up • Share one thing you heard or did today that will impact what you do the next time you work with children • Share a commitment you have after participating in today that will impact both your children/students and yourself • Who-Why-What-How-When-Where-With What?

40. Take Home Message Meaningful movement and purposeful play have the potential to impact the whole child for a lifetime – YOUR job is to set the stage for these future healthy, active behaviors and choices!

41. Resources • Active Early • www.aahperd.org • Appropriate Practices in Movement Programs for Children Ages 3-5 • Active Start

42. Resources • http://www.headstartbodystart.org/ • Monthly activity calendar • Healthy Homes Messages • Infant & Toddler Movement Experiences • Family Night Kits

43. Thank you ~ We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing Kristi Mally, PhD University Wisconsin-La Crosse kmally@uwlax.edu 608-785-6527