Healthybodies Healthy Mindsmovewith a30e63e802192

Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Move with Me Online Learning Unit at www.raising-readers.org Raising Readers in Story County, 2012

During the early years, physical activity and movement are an important part of your childs development, learning and growth. She is learning fundamental large motor and fine motor skills and needs many opportunities to practice these skills. She is also developing a life-long habit of being physically active. Research has shown that young children who are not physically active may be at risk of becoming overweight or obese. Obesity may lead to early adult illnesses such as high blood pressure, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Your attitude influences your childs physical play and movement habits. Research has shown that if a parent does not show enthusiasm and interest in going outside to play or does not engage in physical play, neither does the child. Your child will enjoy spending time with you as you play and move together. The Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: Move with Me Parent Guide will provide you with ways to enhance your young childs motor and physical development by using childrens books and everyday activities.

Fun and Simple Ways to Encourage Young Children to Be Physically Active


2 How Much Physical Activity Do Young Children Need? The National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE) encourages parents to provide their young children with early learning experiences that emphasize both health-promoting physical play and basic motor skills. Basic motor skills include large motor or locomotor skills and fine motor skills. Large motor skills include walking, running, and jumping and the practice of coordinated movements such as throwing balls, kicking, catching, and bouncing. Fine or small motor skills require young children to manipulate objects with accurate, controlled, and precise movements. With the opportunity to practice, young children also become skilled in self-care skills such as buttoning, snapping, and zipping. It is vital that young children also experience both structured physical activity (parent directed using specific materials or modeling a specific motor skill) and unstructured physical activities (child leads her own play experience or has free play to practice motor skills).

NASPE recommends the following guidelines for children ages 0-5. Activity can occur multiple times during the day in short intervals and moderate-to-vigorous physical play across the day:

Age Unstructured Physical Activity Structured Physical Activity Infants (0-12 Months) No minimum daily activity requirement.

It is highly encouraged for parents to provide their infant, when alert and happy, with many short times across the day to experience unstructured physical activity (such as lying on back, tummy time, and rolling over).

It is highly encouraged for parents to provide their infant, when alert and happy, with many short times across the day to experience structured physical activity (such as exploring objects of different sizes, textures, colors, and shapes).

Toddler (12-36 Months) Minimum daily activity requirement: 1.5 hrs.

60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play such as riding a tricycle)

30 minutes planned physical activity (such as tossing a ball)

Preschooler (3-5 Years) Minimum daily activity requirement: 2 hrs.

60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play such as running in an open area)

60 minutes planned physical activity (such as throwing a ball at a target)


3 MOVEMENT MILESTONES Listed below are typical motor developmental milestones for children ages 0-5. Your child is an individual and may reach these milestones before or later than his peers. If you are concerned about your childs motor development, please speak with her doctor. For a free assessment of your childs motor skills and overall development, visit www.raising-readers.org.

Age

Group Fine Motor/Manipulative Skills

Small movements of the hands and fingers

(Moving objects with hands such as stringing beads)

Gross Motor/Locomotor Skills

Big movements of the arms, legs, and trunk/torso (Moving ones body from one point to another such as jumping)

Infants (Birth to

12 Months)

2 - 3 months: Babies bring their hands to their mouths and take swipes at dangling objects and grasp objects placed in the palm of their hand; may hold head up when seated, although the head may bob.

7 - 9 months: Babies use their fingers and thumbs to hold things much better and transfer objects from one hand to the other.

10 - 12 months: At this age, babies usually are able to hold a crayon and make marks with it and put objects into and out of a container.

1 - 2 months: Babies begin to lift their head and shoulders when lying on their stomach. But when seated, a babys head will usually fall forward.

4 - 7 months: Babies may roll onto their side from their stomach. Some babies may be able to sit unsupported for short periods and support their whole weight on their legs.

7 - 9 months: Babies learn to roll from their backs to their stomachs around this age. They may also pull themselves up to standing position, crawl on all fours.

10 - 12 months: At this age, babies usually are able to sit for long periods, move more easily, may walk by holding an adults hand or onto furniture and stand unsupported.

Toddlers (Ages 1-2)

12 - 15 months: Children at this age are usually able to point, remove covers from containers, and take off their clothing. 15 - 24 months: On average, children can scribble well and stack several blocks.

12 - 15 months: On the average, children learn to walk around this time, with the first shaky steps coming around the 1-year mark. First steps may come later or, sometimes, even earlier. But the age a child first walks usually doesnt mean anything. They can overhand throw. 15 - 24 months: Childrens balance and control improves during this period. Toddling becomes steadier. Their confidence builds until they can run, walk backwards and may also be able to kick a large ball and catch a ball when their hands are held out.

Older Toddlers (Ages 2-3)

Fine motor skills also improve during this period. Children will learn to turn objects, such as doorknobs and screw-on lids. They begin to use fingers more separately than before and control them better. Some children may draw rough, but recognizable, pictures with a crayon.

Children are very active during this period. They like to run and climb. They also learn to jump with both feet off the ground and seem to be constantly in motion. Some children may gallop and learn to pedal riding toys.

Preschoolers (Ages 3-6)

Children also find it easier to focus on objects in the distance during these years. They usually can focus better on a line of print in a book. By age 6, they can learn to draw several shapes and recognizable pictures, cut on a line with scissors (not perfectly), reproduce some shapes and print some letters.

Their abilities to bounce, throw, and catch balls also improve. Children learn to hop, skip, strike, throw at a target and do a standing long jump. Children are able to walk on a balance beam. By age 6, their balance and coordination may be developed enough to allow them to begin to learn how to skate or ride a bike.

Source: National Association for Sport and Physical Education (2009) and By the Ages: Behavior & Development of Children Pre-Birth through Eight (2000).


How to be a Movement Model Below are simple ways you can promote your childs daily physical activity and movement skills: Be Active with Your Child. Experts say that

what kids want more than anything else is time with their parents. To give them that, dont just send them out to play go play with them!

Follow Your Childs Lead. Your child will let

you know the amount of assistance that she needs to keep moving. For example, your infant will look away from you if she is done or bored with a play activity. Your toddler is full of energy and will play at a full pace. Follow his pace to encourage him to play longer. Help your preschooler strengthen her motor skills by giving her the amount of coaching that she needs to refine the skill. For example, modify a throwing game to both challenge her and to allow her to be successful (If your child can not throw a ball in a basket, ask her to move closer to the basket).

Use Encouraging Words. Research has shown

that young children who are confident in their physical skills are more likely to continue to be physically active and proficient throughout their childhood and adult life. As your child begins to learn a new skill or practice developing a skill, talk with him to motivate him to keep trying. Praise his efforts (Wow, you really kicked the ball far). With your baby, use facial, verbal and nonverbal expressions to motivate her to continue being physically active with a toy. Model a skill that your child is having difficulty with such as telling him how to catch a ball (Hold out your arms and hug the ball when it comes to you).

Keep it Simple. Its easy to feel overwhelmed

when you think about adding another thing to your familys busy schedule. Start simple and gradually add more movement activities to your childs daily schedule. Start by altering what you do already. When you go grocery-shopping, park a little farther from the front of the grocery store for you and your children to walk. Let your toddler out of the stroller so she can walk to a drinking fountain or a play area.

Lay your infant on a blanket to stretch and play with a soft rattle while you sit next to her and fold laundry or read a book. There is no need to purchase expensive sports equipment or toys. Use what you have at home. Use a large wooden spoon from the kitchen as a paddle for your child to hit a balloon or foam ball across the living room floor. Make a musical shaker for your infant or toddler. Recycle a soda or water bottle and add paperclips, rocks, and small toys to it. Secure the lid with tape. Limit Screen Time. The American Academy of

Pediatrics (2009) recommends that children under 2 have no television or screen time (screen media such as computer games, videos, or DVDs). For children over age 2, the recommendation is 1 to 2 hours per day for television (or any screen media such as DVDs or computer/video games). Most children get 46 hours of screen time. Your child learns best by doing hands-on and face-to-face activities with you. Limit your childs screen time. Instead of watching television or playing on the computer, spend time together. Go for a walk, kick a ball around or ride bikes around the neighborhood.


How to Support Your Child Motor and Early Literacy Skills: Childrens books are a wonderful way to motivate your childs physical activity and movement. When you share books with her that show a favorite book character enjoying being physical active or a loveable book character moving in fun ways, she will be willing and motivated to move just like them. Sharing books and early literacy activities help build the motor skills your child needs for school-readiness. READ: Reading with your child from birth helps build her print motivation, an enjoyment of interacting with books. Interacting with books also supports her fine and large motor skills that are used to hold a book upright and turn pages. She will also practice her visual tracking by looking at illustrations and following your finger as your track print from left to right as you read to her. TALK: The more words your child knows, the more likely he will have an easier time learning how to read. Talking and reading with him will increase his vocabulary and teach him sounds in words that will prepare him for reading and writing. Use movement vocabulary to describe how he moves his body through space or moves his body in

different ways. Use words such as up/down, low/high or straight/curved. These types of movement words will also help him understand math concepts in school. SING: Singing with your child will help build her phonological awareness, the ability to hear smaller sounds in words. Phonological awareness will help your child sound out words as she learns how to read. Learning the actions to songs and rhymes increases her vocabulary and oral memory skills. For example, the repetition of music, songs, and fingerplays helps her anticipate what comes next. She will move her large and small muscles as she participates in a movement song or rhyme. Listening to different kinds of music will also help her learn by hearing sounds at different levels and tones. WRITE: As your child grasps a toy, feeds himself, or builds a tower with blocks, he is strengthening his fine motor skills needed to grasp a pencil for writing and other fine-motor skills needed for success in daily life and in school. Model writing for your child and encourage him to draw and write with you. MOVE: Your child builds her listening skills as she follows directions, performs steps in a sequence to move to music, or performs a motor action such as throwing a beanbag into a basket. Use open-ended questions to encourage your child to use her creative thinking (Show me another way to move your hips to the music or How can you knock down the bottle with a beanbag?). PLAY: Play develops your childs brain and increases his ability to learn. As he participates in movement activities, he is practicing focusing his attention on a single task. He develops his attention span when he is involved in a structured (child-directed) activity. Play also gives him the opportunity to express his imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills (such as pretending to be a knight climbing a castle wall).


6 Physical & Movement Activities for Infants (Birth to 12 Months) Your baby learns through movement. He will discover that as he moves his body, he can change what he sees, hears, and feels. He will use his senses and emerging physical skills to help him explore and learn about the people and objects in his world. Help your baby build his curiousity and movement skills by providing him with an open space that is free of furniture. When your baby is alert and happy, take this opportunity to interact and play with him. Closely watch his cues of having enough playful activity time with you. He will cry or look away when he is done with the activity or if the activity is no longer interesting to him.

TALK: Look at your babys eyes as you talk to him (0-12

months). Your baby enjoys seeing your face and hearing the sound of your voice. Help build her receptive vocabulary (words she understands) by pointing to objects as you name them. Describe how she moves her body (You are kicking your legs!).

Go for a listening walk with your infant (0-12 months). Hold your baby in different positions so he can see the world from different views. Describe the sounds that you hear and what you see.

Provide your baby with touch and feel books and toys (0-12 months). Your baby will enjoy a variety of toys in different sizes, colors, and textures. Talk to her about the textures (Your blanket feels soft). For your older infant, vary the height of toys that you offer her to encourage her to move.

SING: Your infant loves the sound of your voice (0-12

months). Sing movement songs and rhymes that encourage you to gently move her body parts (clap hands, tap toes and jump). This will also help her learn the names of her body parts and build her memory.

Make your own musical instruments (3-12 months). Your older infant will enjoy grasping and shaking a rattle to music. Provide cause-and-effect and noise-making toys that he needs to manipulate.

Personalize nursery rhymes (0-12 months). Substitute your babys name in nursery rhymes that encourage movement. For example, say, Billy, be nimble, Billy be quick. Billy jump over the candlestick (lift your baby up when you say the word jump).

MOVE: Encourage Tummy Time throughout the day (0-6

months). Lay your baby on her stomach when she is awake and alert. Place a rolled towel under her chest and arms to help support her. Prop up a book for her to look at or place colorful toys in front of her. You can also lie down on your back and place her on your chest. Talk or sing to her.

Create your own obstacle course (6 -12 months). Your baby will enjoy crawling and climbing over and around pillows and under a blanket.

Provide supervised sensory materials (6 -12 months). Provide your baby with a variety of different textured materials to explore. Pull scarves out of a tissue box. Allow him to crawl on different surfaces: carpet, hard flooring, grass, etc. Encourage him to work his fingers by squishing pudding, a banana, or cooked spaghetti. Show your baby how to hold a large crayon and scribble on paper.

PLAY: Create your own visual tracking games (0-6

months). Help your baby develop her ability to follow or track moving objects. Use a rattle and hold it 8 inches from her face. Shake the rattle and slowly move it to one side, back to the middle, then to the other side.

Encourage your baby to get that toy (3 6 months). Place brightly colored toys in a circle and out of reach for your baby to move towards. Play a push away game by gently laying your infant on his stomach and having him push off your hand to get a toy. Create a rolling toy for him to crawl after. Place paper strips, large beads, and jingle bells in an empty clear juice bottle. Secure the lid with tape.

Play with empty boxes (6 12 months). Boxes are great for your mobile infant to crawl through, in, and around. Provide toys for her to drop into a small box and then dump it, and do it over again.


Physical & Movement Activities for Toddlers (12 to 36 Months) Your toddler has a lot of energy and enjoys being constantly on the move. She needs a lot of opportunities and open space to practice and build her new motor skills such as walking, running, kicking, and throwing. She will also begin to use her hands more to explore objects and her world. With her short attention span, she may move from one activity to the next, keeping you on the run just to keep up with her! TALK: Follow your toddlers lead in conversations. Your

toddler is beginning to say understandable words. Encourage conversation by repeating the words back to her, and asking open-ended questions. Expand upon what she says (Ball? Yes, that is a soft red ball. What would you like to do with the ball? Throw it?). Talk with her about what she is doing (You are picking such pretty yellow dandelions!).

Play body awareness games to learn the names of body parts. Sing, Head, shoulders, knees and toes as you touch his body parts. Together you can swing your arms like a monkey, slide like a snake, walk on all fours like a bear, and hop like a kangaroo.

Let your toddler walk. Park the stroller and walk down a safe sidewalk at a local park or shopping mall. Describe what she sees, hears, smells, and touches. Be prepared for her to stop frequently to examine and pick up objects.

WRITE: Create a Writing Box. Put together a drawing box for

your child that includes crayons and scraps of paper to draw on. Include chalk to use outside or in the garage to exercise his shoulder muscles. Provide him with a paintbrush and a bucket of water to paint the sidewalk.

Provide Sensory Play. Your toddler enjoys exploring with all of her senses. Provide materials for her to use with her fingers such as finger painting and play dough. Provide shaving cream or pudding to explore. Make water and sand play interesting with small containers to fill and dump, and sponges and a turkey baster to squeeze. Use tongs to pick up cotton balls and put into a muffin tin.

Enjoy Pretend Play Together. Engage in pretend play with your toddler while you do your normal

activities. Have him ride a wheel-toy to a family car wash and wash his toy. Play restaurant and allow him to pour juice from a play teapot or child-size pitcher. Decorate a box to be your post office or mailbox, and place it outside. Have him scribble on his mail, and walk to the mailbox together to mail it.

SING: Share Movement Songs: Share

movement songs, or create your own songs that encourage your toddler to move her body in different ways. Model

how she can hop up and down, do tick-tocks from side to side while standing on your feet, spin, move her arms up/down and in/out.

Make Musical Instruments. Let your toddler use pots and pans and a plastic spoon for rhythm sticks to create her own music or play to the rhythm of her favorite song. Put beans in an empty water bottle and tape the lid on for a shaker.

Share Nursery Rhymes. Your toddler will enjoy acting out nursery rhymes that encourage him to move his body such as Jack be Nimble, Humpty Dumpty, and The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

PLAY: Play Chase Games in a wide-open space. Provide

hills and slopes for your toddler to walk and run down to practice his balance. Also encourage him to walk on different surfaces such as rocks, sand, and dirt.

Provide Problem-Solving Toys. Your toddler will enjoy simple puzzles, stacking rings, sorting boxes, and nesting cups. Shell also like playing with blocks to stack and knock down.

Create a Sensory Box. Fill a plastic bin with clean soil, sand, water, oatmeal, or packaging peanuts for him to dig in and use different size containers to fill and dump. Provide supervision.

MOVE: Games with Balls. Provide your child with balls of

different sizes to kick, roll to you, throw into a laundry basket, and hit up in the air.

Target Fun. Create paper targets that have a bell attached to them. Hang the targets at different heights on a wall or fence. Give your toddler balls in different sizes, weights, and shapes (tennis balls, beach balls, balls with nubs). Let him stand as close as necessary to aim and hit the target.


8

Physical & Movement Activities for Preschoolers (3-5 Years) Your preschooler will continue to build her coordination and large motor skills such as running, kicking, and throwing. By the time she enters Kindergarten, she will have acquired most of the basic large and fine motor skills. TALK Go for a listening walk. Talk with your preschooler

about what you hear, see, smell, and feel. Pretend you are walking in the forest and make up a story together of what you see.

Use a variety of movement words. Use different words to describe your childs movements to help her learn new words (twist, sprint, leap, slither, float).

Encourage self-help skills. Coach your child in self-help skills such as buttoning, snapping, and zippering. Start the zipper for him and let him pull up the zipper. Talk to him about how to hold a toothbrush and turn it different angles to clean his teeth.

SING Share Nursery Rhymes. Your child will enjoy acting

out nursery rhymes that encourage her to move her body such as Jack be Nimble, Humpty Dumpty, and The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Share Movement Songs. Share movement songs or create your own that encourage your child to move her body in different ways. Model how she can hop up and down, do tick-tocks from side to side while standing on your feet, spin, move her arms up/down and in/out. Show her how to dance with scarves.

Make Musical Instruments. Let your child use pots and pans and a plastic spoon for rhythm sticks to create his own music or play to the rhythm of his favorite song. Put beans in an empty bottle and tape on a lid to create a shaker.

PLAY Bounce Ball. Use a medium size ball to practice

bouncing or dribbling skills with your child. Model how to bounce a ball down and catch it. Then model how to bounce a ball continuously, and bounce the ball at different heights. Ask her to think of other ways she can bounce a ball using different parts of her body (with her elbow, knee, forehead).

Throwing Station. Use yarn balls, crumpled-up paper balls, or beanbags for your child to throw into a box,

bowl, or basket. Use recyclable materials such as two-liter soda bottles, oatmeal containers, or plastic juice bottles for him to knock down. Make paper targets and tape them on a wall for him to throw at.

Hit the Balloon. Create your own target hitting game. Use a blown up balloon and a paddle made out of a paper plate. Hit the balloon back and forth with your child. Also encourage her to hit a balloon or foam ball in different ways such as from the ground, on a tee, or tossed.

WRITE Create a family physical activity chart. Make a

chart of physical activity that your preschooler can choose from. Model writing by writing down her suggestions and drawing a stick person. Some ideas are going for a walk, riding bikes, dancing to music, and doing jumping jacks.

Plan a bike trip together to a local park. Write out what you might need for a short family bike ride. Pack a snack and look up a city map or read about the park.

Create a writing box. Provide your child with an assortment of materials that encourage him to practice his eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. An example is a box filled with a variety of paper and writing materials, large beads with laces, hole-punched cards in the shape of a favorite book character for him to sew with, and strips of paper to weave with.

MOVE Skatepark. Create a skating park in your home. Move

furniture so your child can slide on a wooden floor wearing socks, or use paper plates to skate on the carpet to a variety of music. Move fast/faster or slow/slower.

Wheel Movement. Provide your child with a tricycle. Once she feels comfortable pedaling forward and around wide corners, encourage her to steer around obstacles such as pylons or empty boxes.


READ The tables below feature childrens books that will encourage your infant, toddler, or preschooler to get up and move with you! After you read a suggested book, try one of the movement activities to help develop your childs movement skills. CHILDRENS BOOKS FOR INFANTS & TODDLERS (0-36 MONTHS)

MOVEMENT SKILL & CHILDRENS BOOKS MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES

LABELING & MOVING DIFFERENT BODY PARTS

Here are My Hands by Bill Martin Jr. From Head to Toe by Eric Carle Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes: And Other Action Rhymes by Zita Newcome Little Yoga: A Toddlers First Book of Yoga by Rebecca Whitford Wiggle & Move by Sanja Rescek Wiggle Your Toes by Karen Katz Toddlerobics by Zita Newcome The Day the Babies Crawled Away by Peggy Rathmann The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

Label body parts (0-36 months). Touch and label your

childs body parts and ask her questions such as Where are your toes? or Wheres Mamas nose?

Move body parts (0-36 months). Duplicate the actions in the book with your child. (Show me how you brush your teeth?) Touch babys body parts and refer to the story.

Move like an animal (6 36 months). Make a movement cube by gluing pictures of animals (snake, bird, dog, horse, etc.) on the sides of a small box. Have your child roll the dice, and then together act like the animal it lands on.

WALKING

I Went Walking by Sue Williams Maisys Nature Walk by Lucy Cousins Walk On! by Maria Frazee Wiggle! March! by Kaaren Pixton I Can by Helen Oxenbury Ollie the Stomper by Olivier Dunrea Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming Carl's Afternoon in the Park by Alexandra Day Ring Around the Rosie by Annie Kubler

Cruising (8-14 months). Follow your babys lead on the

amount of support that she needs when trying to walk. Allow her to cruise along low furniture or around a coffee table or steady box. Hold her hands to walk through the house as you go about your routine.

Make Walking Toys (24-36 months). Tie a string to a shoebox and encourage your child to place items in it and walk around pulling it. Provide pull toys that encourage your toddler to walk backwards or sideways.

Walking Fun (24-36 months). Encourage your toddler to walk along a straight and curved line using masking tape on the carpet or chalk on the sidewalk. Ask him to walk forward, backwards, and sideways on the line.

HOPPING & JUMPING Bounce by Doreen Cronin Toddlerobics by Zita Newcome Hop, Skip and Jump by Nicola Tuxworth Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes: A First Book All About You by Judy Hindley Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz

Step Jumping (24-36 months). Hold your toddlers hands

and encourage him to step onto a bottom step. Help him jump down one step onto the floor. When he feels comfortable, let him jump down by himself.

Jumping Fun. Hold your childs hands as you jump together or as she jumps from a bottom step to the floor.

Hoop Jumping (22-36 months). Place a hoop on the floor to jump in and out of. Recycle bubble wrap and hold your childs hands as he jumps on it to pop the air bubbles.


10 CHILDRENS BOOKS FOR INFANTS & TODDLERS (0-36 MONTHS)

MOVEMENT SKILL & CHILDRENS BOOKS MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES

RUNNING

Catch That Baby! by Nancy Coffelt No, David! by David Shannon Tippy-Toe, Chick, Go! by George Shannon Were Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen The Tortoise and the Hare by Janet Stevens The Gingerbread Man by Nancy Nolte Run, Mouse, Run! by Petr Horacek

Ball Chase (12-36 months). Encourage your child to run after a large beach ball or exercise ball in a wide-open space.

Running Fun (12-36 months). Run in different ways (straight, zig-zag, gliding, flying fast) in a large open space. Flap your arms to imitate a bird flying.

Run in Place (24-36 months). Show your child how to run in place. Give directions. Run fast, pretend someone is chasing you. Now you are tired, slow down.

BALANCING

All Fall Down by Helen Oxenbury Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh Cosmo Zooms by Arthur Howard How Do Dinosaurs Go Up and Down? by Jane Yolen Sign and Sing Along: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear! by Annie Kubler

Rock from Side to Side (2-24 months). Hold your child securely on your knee and gently tip her from side to side, forwards and back.

Balance on a Ball (5-12 months). Provide a large bounce ball for your child to sit on and balance his body and use to push off with his legs. Hold his hands at all times.

Balancing Act (18-36 months). Provide your child with a beanbag or small soft toy to balance on his head. Encourage him to walk around in an open space in different ways (forward, backwards, sideways). Ask him to try to balance the beanbag on other body parts (shoulder, chest, knee, toes, heel, and hip).

DANCING

Baby Dance by Ann Taylor The Baby Dances by Kathy Henderson Dance with Me by Charles R. Smith. Jr. Nutcracker Twinkle Toes by Karen Katz Lets Dance, Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton Dancing Feet! by Lindsey Craig

Move to Music (0-12 months). Play slow and soothing music and gently sway your baby. Talk to her and tell her how much you love her.

Musical Fun (6-36 months). Wave colorful scarves as you dance with your child. Make your own dancing rings by tying ribbons or strips of material to a plastic lid cut into a hoop. Show your child how to shake a shaker way up high and way down low.

Bell Fun (0-36 months). Make your own bell socks. On a pair of your infants socks, securely sew a bell on the top of the foot. For toddlers, securely sew bells around the ankle of the sock. Encourage your child to stamp feet, kick, tap toes, hop, jump, wiggle feet, run in place, and tiptoe around the room.

FINE MOTOR

Clap Hands by Helen Oxenbury Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins Piggies by Audrey Wood Ten Little Fingers by Annie Kubler The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Rosemary Wells Where Is Babys Belly Button? by Karen Katz All by Myself! by Aliki Getting Dressed by Mathew Price and Moira Kemp

Scarf Pull (2-12 months). Create a scarf pull game. Tie several scarves together. Place the scarves in an empty Kleenex box. Let your baby pull the scarves out of the box.

Card Pick Up (6-36 months). Glue or print pictures of your childs favorite animals, objects, or family members on small index cards (round edges) or thick scrap paper the size of playing cards to encourage your child to use her fingers to pick up the cards. Talk with her about the pictures.

Self-Help Skills (15-36 months). Encourage your toddler to use self-help skills to help build his fine motor skills. Let him try to dress himself, wash his own hands and untie his shoes. Help him learn to zipper, snap, and button.


11 CHILDRENS BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS

MOVEMENT SKILL & CHILDRENS BOOKS

MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES

LABELING & MOVING DIFFERENT BODY PARTS Move! by Robin Page and Steve Jenkins Piggy Pie Po by Audrey & Don Wood Ready, Set, Skip! by Jane OConnor Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Carol Diggory Shields The Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter Wiggle by Doreen Cronin E is for Exercise by Symone LaDeane Oh the Things You Can Do That are Good for You by Tish Rabe

Body Movement. Turn movement words found in stories into a movement game (leap like a deer, run like a tiger, gallop like a horse, jump like a frog). Make your own movement cards or cube with pictures of different animals that your child can imitate (swim like a fish, stretch like a giraffe). Encourage your childs problem-solving and different movements by asking him questions such How many different ways can you knock down the bottles? or Show me another way to move your lips.

Hula-Hoop Fun. Think of different ways to move your body using a hula-hoop (jump in and out, run around, throw and catch, spin around neck and arms).

Limbo Time. Use a winter scarf for your child to go under to see how low they can make their bodies or to jump over to see how high they can jump. Try army crawling and moving backwards under the scarf.

WALKING & RUNNING A Boy, A Dog, and a Frog by Mercer Mayer Get Up and Go! by Nancy Carlson Like a Windy Day by Frank Asch Piggies by Audrey Woods Rosies Walk by Pat Hutchins Were Going on a Picnic by Pat Hutchins The Gingerbread Man retold by Jim Aylesworth The Great Gracie Chase by Cynthia Rylant The Listening Walk by Paul Showers The Snow Day by Ezra Jack Keats The Three Billy Goats Gruff retold by Janet Stevens

Walking Obstacle. Encourage children to walk along a straight and curved line using masking tape on the carpet or chalk on the sidewalk. Challenge children to walk forward, backwards, and sideways on the line.

Stop and Go Walking Game. Play lively music and encourage your child to walk around the room. When the music stops, she will need to stop walking and walk again once the music starts playing again.

Family Walk Time. Collect objects such as rocks, leaves, and sticks. Talk about the colors, size, shapes, and patterns that you see in the objects. Make a plan to walk to a nearby park or friends house for a picnic. Explore walking in the snow, rain, and on a windy day. How does your childs body feel compared to walking on a sunny day.

CLIMBING, PULLING, & ROLLING Jack and the Beanstalk by Steven Kellogg Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley Stretch by Doreen Cronin The Enormous Turnip by Kathy Parkinson Roll Over by Merle Peek Up, Up, Down by Robert Munsch Climb the Family Tree, Jesse Bear! by Nancy White Carlstrom The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani

Reenact Favorite Stories. On the playground, encourage children to slowly climb up a ladder to pretend to be Jack on the Beanstalk. Ask your child to be the different animals in Mrs. Wishy Washy rolling in the mud as you reread the story aloud. Rolling. Find a wide-open space and show your child how to roll a hula-hoop to you. Vary the distances you roll the hoop. Tug of war. Hold on to one end of a pool noodle while your child hangs on to the other end. Challenge your child to pull you over. Try playing tug of war from various positions, sitting, kneeling, and standing. Climbing. Find a playground with climbing equipment, such as a climbing wall, jungle gym, etc. Stand by your child to provide supervision and support as she climbs.


12

CHILDRENS BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS

MOVEMENT SKILL & CHILDRENS BOOKS

Movement Activities

JUMPING Bobbie Dazzler by Margaret Wild Boing! by Nick Bruel Bounce by Doreen Cronin Five Green and Speckled Frogs by Constanza Basaluzzo Hop! Plop! by Corey Rosen Schwartz Im as Quick as a Cricket by Don & Audrey Wood Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan Leap Back Home to Me by Lauren Thompson

Follow-the-Leader. Ask her to copy you jumping forward, backwards, on two feet, on one foot, a mad jump, a happy jump, and so on. Tape lines. Use tape to create a line for your child to jump like a frog along. Create patterns for her to follow (small jump-big jump or small jump-small jump-big jump). Place hoops in a straight line so your child can jump from one hoop to the next. Move the hoops into a curved path for her to jump along. Create Jumping Hurdles. Use jump ropes, a broom stick, or create a straight line with removable tape for your child to jump over. Create two lines side-by-side for him to jump over. To make it more challenging, spread the two lines further apart.

BALANCING Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh Do Donkeys Dance? by Melanie Walsh Silly Sally by Audrey Wood Stretch by Doreen Cronin Over, Under and Through by Tana Hoban

Bean Bag Fun. Provide your child with a beanbag or small soft toy to balance on his head. Encourage him to walk around in an open space in different ways (forward, backwards, sideways). Ask him to try to balance the beanbag on other body parts (shoulder, chest, knee, toes, heel, and hip). Make a Balance Beam for your preschooler to walk across. Beams should be 4 to 6 wide and no more the 30 off the ground. You can also look for places to walk across such as a low wall at the local park. Make a Pair of Can Stilts for your child to use in an open space. Use recycled cans for coffee or other large cans. Punch 2 holes in each can, on opposite sides. Thread sturdy rope through the holes, and provide enough length that it reaches your childs waist. Show her how to walk on the stilts. Balance Counts. Ask your child to balance on one foot, and together count how long he can hold it. Switch feet, and compare how long he can hold it on that side.


13 DANCING Brontorina by James Howe Bearobics by Vic Parker and Emily Bolam Giraffes Cant Dance by Giles Andreae Color Dance by Ann Jonas Dance! by Bill T. Jones & Susan Kuklin Watch Me Dance by Andrea and Brian Pinkney How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle Dilly Dogs Dizzy Dancing by Barbara deRubertis The All-American Jump and Jive Jig by M.P. Hueston Elephant Cannot Dance by Mo Willems Hilda Must be Dancing by Karma Wilson

Dance Party. Play a variety of music for you and your child to dance to. Encourage him to move his body in a different ways (wiggle your hips, bend your knees). Also include facial movements such as move your jaw and wiggle your lips.

Rainbow Dance. Provide your child with colorful scarves or streamers for him to move in different ways. Encourage him to move his arms in big wide circles/small circles/circles in front of his body.

Dance Word List. With your child, write a list of words describing the different dance moves she can do. Post your list near the place that you dance together. While dancing, call out a dance word for her to do such as twist, bend, shake, spin, shimmy, squat, skip, jump, and swing arms.


14 Movement Rhymes, Fingerplays, and Songs

Rhymes, fingerplays, and songs are important for your childs language development. Your childs vocabulary will increase, and the sounds introduce him to the rhythms of the English language. The repetitive nature of nursery rhymes helps your child develop memory skills. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers learn to anticipate what will happen next. One is a Giant One is a giant who stomps his feet (walk around stomping feet) Two is a fairy who flaps her wings (pretend to fly) Three is a mouse who crouches small (curl up small) And four is a great big bouncing ball (jump around) Jump, jump, Kangaroo Brown Jump, jump, Kangaroo Brown Jump, jump, up and down Jump, jump, Kangaroo Brown Jump, jump all around (jump up and down with your child) Ring Around the Rosie Ring around the rosy, Pocket full of posy. Ashes, ashes All fall down. Cows are in the meadow Eating buttercups. Ashes, ashes We all stand up. Great A, Little a Great A, little a, Bouncing B! The cats in the cupboard, And cant see me. (bounce) I like to Bend I like to bend down low. I like to reach up high. I like to turn around. And walk backwards, And jump forward! Once I Saw A Little Bird Once I saw a little bird come hop, hop, hop; So I cried, Little bird, will you stop, stop, stop? And was going to the window to say, How do you do? But he shook his little tail, And far away he flew.

Shoofly (Circe to the left) Shoofly, dont bother me, Shoofly, dont bother me, Shoofly, dont bother me, Cause I belong to somebody. (Walk in and out) I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star. I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star. I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star. I feel, I feel, I feel like a morning star. (Repeat 1st verse and circle to the right) Slowly Slowly Slowly, very slowly, up the garden rail, (walk fingers up babys arm) Slowly, very slowly, creeps the little snail. (walk fingers up babys other arm) Then quickly, very quickly, runs the little mouse, (circle babys belly) Quickly, very quickly, all around the house. Dance to Your Daddy Dance to your daddy, My bonnie laddie; Dance to your daddy, my bonnie lamb; You shall get a fishy, On a little dishy; You shall get a fishy, when the boat comes home. Stretching Fun I stretch and stretch and find it fun (stretch) To try to reach up to the sun. (reach hands up) I bend and bend to touch the ground, (touch the ground) Then I twist and twist all around (twist side to side) One, Two, Three, Four, Five One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught a fish alive. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, Then I let it go again. Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so. Which finger did it bite? The little one upon the right.


15 (jump or hop while counting) Handy Spandy, Jack-A-Dandy Handy Spandy, Jack-A-Dandy, Loved plum cake and sugar candy; He bought some at the grocers shop, And out he came, a-hop, hop, hop. (hop around room) Banbury Cross Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon a white horse; Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes. (dance and shake bells)

Jack Be Nimble Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumped over the candlestick (act out actions) Row, Row, Row Your Boat Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream. Actions: (Sit on floor, legs apart in a straddle position. With child facing you, hold hands. Rock back and forth to song. Repeat song quickly, then slowly.)

Online Movement Resources Fingerplays, Songs, & Music:

Ames Public Library: Storytime Music List (Ages 0-5) http://www.amespubliclibrary.org/kids/Music.asp Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme Booklet (Henrico County Public Library) http://www.henricolibrary.org/pdfs/NurseryRhymeBooklet.pdf Reading is Fundamental: Infant & Toddler Nursery Rhymes and Songs http://www.rif.org/kids/leadingtoreading/en/leadingtoreading.htm Movement Information & Activities: Best Practices for Physical Activity: A Guide to Help Children Grow Up Healthy http://www.nemours.org/content/dam/nemours/www/filebox/service/preventive/nhps/paguide2010.pdf Gross and Fine Motor Activities for Infants and toddlers http://www.earlychildhood.msstate.edu/resources/motoractivities/pdfs/infant-toddler.pdf Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS): Activity Resources for Parents. http://www.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart/ KidsHealth: Nutrition & Fitness Center http://kidshealth.org/parent/ Sesame Street: Healthy Habits for Life (Caregiver and Parent Downloadable Kits) http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topicsandactivities/toolkits/healthyhabits LETs MOVE! Child Care (Activities) http://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/activities.html Making Good Decisions About Screen Time for Young Children Visit: www.zerotothree.org (search screen time) Movement Lesson Plan Ideas for Preschoolers http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/searchresults.asp?category=50


16 References: Allen, K.E., & Marotz, L.R. (2000). By the ages: Behavior & development of children pre-birth through eight. Canada: Delmar Thomson Learning. American Academy of Pediatrics. Ages and Stages: Fitness: Toddlers and Preschoolers at HealthyChildren.org. Better Brains for Babies: Retrieved on December 17, 2011, from http://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/bbb/playBenefits.php Callender, S.A. (2007). Gross and fine motor activities for early childhood: Infants and toddlers. Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute. Epstein, A.S., (2007). The intentional teachers: Choosing the best strategies for young childrens learning. Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Goodway, J.D., and Robinson, L.E., (2006). SKIPing toward an active start: Promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web, May 2006. Retrieved on December 29, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/SKIPing_GoodwayBTJ.pdf Head Start, Body Start: National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play at http://www.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart/onlinelearning Iowa Early Learning Standards (2006). Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Department of Human Services. Retrieved on November 11, 2011 at: http://dhs.iowa.gov/docs/IELS_2-20-006.pdf Iowa Department of Education (2010). Iowa core curriculum: Birth to five essential concepts and skills. Des Moines, IA: Early Childhood Service Bureau. LETs MOVE! Child Care at http://healthykidshealthyfuture.org/activities.html Morian, V., and A. Rupnow (2000). Growing up fit-Preschool fitness activities. ISU University Extension Electronic Version March 2000. Retrieved at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm1359b.pdf National Association of Sport and Physical Education (2009). Active start: a statement of physical activity guidelines for children from birth to five years. National Association of Sport and Physical Education. National Association for the Education of Young Children (2012). Developmentally appropriate practice and play: Online professional development resource from NAEYC handout. Retrieved at: http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/DAP%20and%20Play%20Handout.pdf Parish, L.E., & Rudisill, M.E., HAPPE: toddlers in physical play. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web, May 2006. Retrieved on December 29, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/HAPPE.pdf Preventing Childhood Obesity in Early Care and Education Programs (2010). Developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Retrieved on November 11, 2011, from http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/bnp/nupao/documents/CFOC_Preventing%20Obesity.pdf Sanders, S.W. (2002). Active for life: Developmentally appropriate movement programs for young children. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Sasse, M (2009). Smart start: How exercise can transform your childs life. Wollombi: Australia: Exisle Publishing Limited. Schiller, P. (2005). Complete resource book for infants: Over 700 experiences for children from birth to 18 months. Beltsville, Maryland: Gryphon House. Teaching young children: Family fun and fitness. NAECY.Org/TYC. Retrieved on December 29, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/MessageV3N2.pdf

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