
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills include balance, coordination, lateralization, strength, endurance, etc. Motor skills involve performing body movements and maintaining positions. Like all other skills, motor skills are acquired through practice, and repetition allows them to be refined and developed further. Motor activities and games promote spatial orientation and encourage children and adults alike to expend their energy in a positive way. The same activity often adapts well to children at different stages of development.
Observation
We ask children to exercise this skill every day in a multitude of activities. It is important to know that observation is never practiced alone: observing always requires concentration. This allows us to maintain attention while we gather information and commit it to our memory. How can we encourage the development of observation skills in children? First, it is important that the type of game and the difficulty level chosen are adapted to the child. The environment must be conducive to focus; it is essential to limit sources of distraction and to make the child comfortable. Guiding the child by asking questions can also help. To stimulate observation skills, we usually gravitate towards memory games, sorting games, sequence games or puzzles of all kinds, and that is great! But observation can also be practiced with all our senses. There are a variety of materials and activities that allow children to listen, touch, taste, look, smell, etc.