Stimulation of motor activities in the third year

Healthy children are expected to start walking by the age of 20 months. The phase of learning to walk and independent walking is very intense and children have a constant need to further explore motor activities: running, climbing, kicking, throwing and catching a ball, walking up and down stairs, climbing uphill, going downhill, pushing push-toys, trying to ride a scooter, bicycle...

How a baby discovers the world when they start walking

The world is big and interesting. Children explore it by climbing, going through or under things, running, pushing, turning, watching from all angles, and especially "upside down", because they love to put their head down, to be spun, turned, rocked by their parents... This period is characterized by the fact that they ask to do everything themselves, you often hear: "Let me, let go!". They are trying to let you know what they can do.

Changing the position of the head and body through these activities stimulates the brain and in this way children gain new experiences about their body; they can focus on a targeted activity (putting together puzzles, blocks, holding a pencil, stringing smaller beads, reading books...).

Ball games: there is no better way to stimulate movement than using a ball: throwing, catching, kicking, tapping. First they perform all these activities with larger balls, using both hands, and then they start using smaller balls as well. Through activities with a ball, the child develops:

  • speed
  • dexterity
  • coordination
  • measuring space
  • planning movement
  • correcting mistakes in play through countless repetitions
  • activating the whole body through different patterns of movement.

Sand games: Digging, filling the bucket, carrying, pouring water, making a pile, turning to "fix" the sand towers. All these activities:

  • engage and strengthen the muscles of the whole body
  • improve balance
  • abound in sensory experiences provided by sand, pebbles, water.

Games in the park: swings, slides, climbers, trampolines... What better place than the park to gain new experiences about oneself and the world? Through games in the park, the child develops:

  • social interaction
  • expanding vocabulary and learning to communicate with others
  • motor skills
  • orientation in space
  • research
  • imitation
  • involving and organizing others in the game.

Kids love to move. Therefore, the focus should not be on making it easier for them to learn motor skills, but rather on enabling them to try, improve and learn in a safe environment, thus stimulating all areas of development: socio-emotional, cognitive, speech and language, motor, hand function development.