Physical activity is vital for a child’s development and lays the foundation for a healthy and active life. At nursery, we are ideally placed to foster the development of good physical activity habits and we plan to provide a range of exciting and fun physical activities.
We plan activities which are play-based physically active learning experiences that link to children’s interests, abilities and prior knowledge. The physical activities at nursery are both spontaneous and intentionally planned, involve active play and take place both indoors and outdoors. The nursery teachers act as role models, encouraging children to participate in physical activity, by leading by example.
The benefits of being active for young children include:
- promoting healthy growth and development
- helping to achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- building strong bones and muscles
- improving cardiovascular fitness
- improving balance, coordination and strength
- maintaining and developing flexibility
- improving posture
- assisting with the development of gross motor and fine motor skills
- providing the opportunity to develop fundamental movement skills
- helping to establish connections between different parts of the brain
- improving concentration and thinking skills
- improving confidence and self-esteem
- relieving stress and promoting relaxation
- providing opportunities to develop social skills and make friends
- improving sleep
At the nursery, we contribute to the 3 hours of physical activity that your child should be encouraged to take part in across a day.
For some ideas on how to support younger children, check out these websites:
Meadows Nursery School 
Leave a comment