Comprehensive Approach to Healthy Living

Physical Activity:

• Daily Engagement: Children are encouraged to participate in various physical activities that promote both gross-motor and fine-motor development.
• Variety of Contexts: Activities are designed to develop large muscles (gross-motor control) and small muscles (fine-motor control) through purposeful movements, balance, coordination, and hand-eye coordination.

Healthy Lifestyle Concepts:

• Nutrition and Hygiene: Children explore and discuss the effects of physical activity, proper nutrition, and proper hygiene.
• Safety Awareness: Integrating safety concepts into all areas of learning helps children identify safe and potentially unsafe situations, handle them appropriately, and know when to seek help.

Fostering Physical Development

Gross-Motor Control:

• Large Muscle Development: Activities that involve major body movements, such as running, jumping, and balancing, help children develop control and stabilization.

Fine-Motor Control:

• Small Muscle Development: Manipulating materials and tools, such as cutting with scissors, drawing, and building with blocks, enhances hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Encouraging Cooperative Play and Persistence

Children are encouraged to work cooperatively with others and persevere in their physical activities, fostering social skills and a sense of accomplishment.

Integrated Learning Approach

Health and Well-Being:

• Awareness of Health Practices: Children learn about health and safety practices for themselves and others, fostering a basic awareness of their well-being.

Physical Development and Activity:

• Variety of Activities: Participation in diverse activities requiring both large and small muscle use.
• Contextual Control: Developing control of large and small muscles in various contexts.

Providing Developmentally Appropriate Activities

Teachers play a crucial role in providing activities that are developmentally appropriate for all children, ensuring their safety and success. By considering children’s interests, prior experiences, changing needs, and increasing knowledge, teachers create stimulating learning opportunities that promote physical skills, neural processing, and overall body awareness.

Teaching Responsible and Healthy Choices

Informed Choices:

• Healthy Lifestyle: Children learn to make responsible, informed choices that promote healthy and safe lifestyles.
• Daily Physical Activity: Regular participation in physical activity is emphasized to build a foundation for overall well-being.

Overall Expectations by the End of Kindergarten

1. Health and Safety Awareness:

   • Demonstrate awareness of health and safety practices for themselves and others, and a basic awareness of their well-being.

2. Participation in Activities:

   • Participate willingly in a variety of activities that require the use of both large and small muscles.

3. Gross-Motor Control:

   • Develop control of large muscles in a variety of contexts.

4. Fine-Motor Control:

   • Develop control of small muscles in a variety of contexts.

Conclusion

At 360° Kids Play School, our comprehensive approach to health and physical activity ensures that children develop a positive attitude towards healthy living. Through daily engagement in physical activities, exploration of healthy lifestyle concepts, and integrated learning experiences, we provide young children with a solid foundation for lifelong health and well-being. Our program encourages children to make informed choices, work cooperatively, and develop their physical skills, setting them on a path to a healthy and active future.