It's Our Move!

November 11, 2014 | Prof B2

It’s a fact: using basic motor skills like grasping, crawling, walking, running, jumping, climbing, throwing, catching, kicking, and balancing is essential to children’s motor development, and plays a major role in their overall development. That’s why it’s so important to give them plenty of opportunities to be active, explore, interact, and tackle challenges, and to expose them to a wide range of enjoyable experiences.

The years from birth to age 5 are critically important in children’s development. During that period, their brains are forming new neural connections literally every second, and children are trying new things and acquiring basic skills and knowledge that will be particularly valuable when they start school.

By spending time in stimulating environments that promote their motor development, children can fine-tune muscle control, posture and coordination, for example, and develop their social skills, self-confidence and concentration, laying the groundwork for learning the "three Rs" (reading, writing and ‘rithmetic). Thus, motor development is closely linked to academic success and student retention; it’s also a key factor in other areas of development (cognitive, social, emotional and linguistic). Another positive outcome is that active children tend to grow into active teens and adults who maintain a healthy lifestyle.

To meet the needs of parents looking for a way to support their children’s motor development by participating in enjoyable structured activities together, the Fédération québécoise des centres communautaires de loisir (FQCCL) created Le jardin de Pirouette et Cabriole, a turnkey psychomotor skills program for community organizations and small municipalities. Designed for young families with children ages 6 months to 5 years, the program features ten weekly 50 minute sessions for five different age groups, with exercises that stimulate and develop children’s motor skills. As well, it provides an ideal opportunity for parents and children to spend time together in a fun and active setting.

User-friendly and flexible, Le jardin de Pirouette et Cabriole can be customized to meet the requirements of the host organization so as to benefit the maximum number of children. The FQCCL provides help and support in implementing and adapting the program.

Signing up for the workshops has several advantages. Most important, the various themed games and activities cover every aspect of motor development: body perception, spatial orientation and organization, and temporal orientation and organization—in other words, it’s a "complete package.” As well, the sessions are an excellent source of ideas for related activities to do at home, and parents receive a take-home brochure containing information about stages of development, checklists and observation charts, and more.

Children develop their motor skills through active play. It’s our move!