Motor Skills Development

Motor skills are required to control the body. When skills for moving the body (running, jumping, etc.) are discussed, they are called "large motor" or "gross muscular" skills. Motor skill development is usually the first value of outdoor play that comes to mind. The motor skills are critical to the childs' development and to the enjoyment of life. The long lives that our children are expected to live make it more critical that their bodies and motor skills be developed adequately.

The following activities will be part of our motor skills development:

Locomotor skills (moving from place to place) - walk, skip, jump, hop, start, stop, run, roll and fall. We also use obstacle courses and tumbling to work on these skills.

Non-locomotor skills (body stationary, moving body parts) - stretch, bend, curl, lift, swing, push, turn, pull, twist and dance.

Projection and reception skills (propelling and catching objects) - catch, bounce, dribble, kick and throw.

"Small motor" or "fine muscular" skills will also be part of our activities, such as working with puzzles, building, snapping buttons, tying shoes, learning left and right, working on good attitudes.