Small children find it difficult to sit still for too long at a stretch. That's because they are not not meant to. Their large muscles i.e. leg and arm muscles, shoulder muscles as well as neck muscles are developing and we need to do all we can to provide them opportunities to help them achieve this. Pre- schoolers are also learning to coordinate their movement - for instance, they may still not be able to walk swinging their arms freely, but will be able to do so, given the chance to practise.
By about 18 months, a child should be walking, although each child is a unique individual, so there are bound to be developmental differences even within the same age range - no worries there! Parents, caregivers and those managing Day Care Centres and/or Preschools must allocate time to their little ones for large muscle skill (or motor) development. It doesn't cost a thing. If children are running, hopping, jumping, throwing, carrying, balancing, climbing (whew!), her large muscles are active!
If you have access to a children's park, take your child there for a while every evening. The play equipment will afford your child the opportunity to climb, pull, push and practise a multitude of other movements. They learn to socialize too! At home on a rainy day, children could crawl under tables or chairs, play tug-o-war or ride their tricycle. If you have a punching bag that can be used for pounding, that would be very useful too. Draw random shapes on the floor with chalk and get your child to walk on these. The task needs concentration as well as coordination. You could also ask them to carry things - for instance, a half filled glass of water on a tray; or balance a book on their head!
If there isn't a children's park near your home, you can still provide opportunities for large motor development. Run around together playing "catch". Take a ball and throw it at each other attempting to catch it. Encourage your child to throw the ball greater distances over a period of time. You could also place an empty box or carton and ask your child to aim at it or knock it off. Children enjoy kicking a ball and that's great exercise for the leg muscles. Random kicks could slowly be channelized into aiming at targets, such as the empty carton suggested earlier. Bouncing the ball is another activity that is great for developing hand-eye coordination as well as development of the arm muscles.
Animal movements are great fun and provide for a variety of leg movement. Get your child to hop like a bunny or a bird, gallop like a horse, crawl like a tortoise, wriggle like a snake or pounce like a cat or lion. Let them suggest the animal, decide how it moves and then perform the movement. It's not just fun, but stimulates thinking and role play as well.
Do be careful that the outdoor play area is clean and safe. If your child is using play equipment, make sure that it has child friendly rounded edges without sharp points. Metal equipment should be rust free, while wooden equipment should not have splinters. Check the area for dangerous objects such as broken glass, rusty nails etc.
Most important of all, let your child have fun!
