The foundational strength children (and adults) need is core strength. It is the platform upon which all other strengths are built. Sadly, children’s core strength is declining as they spend less time on outdoor play.
Physical activity takes practice. Children who don’t build strength through physical play will lose confidence and sit out while their peers play and grow stronger, causing a bigger gap between the active and sedentary child.
When the core is weak, it is hard to sit still; a child will wriggle and change positions often to get comfortable. All this movement makes it hard to listen to the teacher or complete a task. Often a child who is fidgeting and distracted is simply not strong enough to sit at a desk.
A strong core means smooth movement and controlled appendages, affecting both gross motor play skills and fine motor classroom skills.
On the playground, core strength allows the arms and legs to move freely for running, jumping, climbing, and skipping.
In the classroom, core strength allows children to support their torsos, freeing their hands to work on cutting, writing, colouring, and building.
Core strength means children can hold their heads still to read a book or write.
They also need core strength to sit comfortably at a desk and attend to a task.
How to address the lack of core strength in our children
We need to provide opportunities for big body physical play and there is nowhere better than an outdoor playground which provides opportunities to:
swing
climb
cross the monkey bars
go up the slide
crawl through a tunnel
and jump on, off, and over something.
By building core strength, we will help build a child’s confidence in their physicality, leading to a continued desire to move, and breaking the cycle of inactivity.
Increased activity and gross motor movement lead to an improved ability to attend, focus and LEARN, helping children gain confidence on the playground, in the classroom, and in life.
Comments