In GymJam, we start each class with a welcome song, a quick stretch, and an obstacle course. Every activity on the course is tied in with our weekly theme. Pirate week? We “walked the plank” on balance beams, “swam” through a tunnel, dodged crocodiles in a swamp, and climbed over a treasure chest. While the children are laughing and playing their way through the course, they are also learning and building their kinesthetic sense. Forming a line and waiting for the teacher to explain each step of the course is an exercise in impulse control. Walking on a balance beam develops their vestibular and proprioceptive systems as well as building core muscle strength. With each challenge, the children are learning while having fun.
While the children are laughing and playing their way through the course, they are also learning and building their kinesthetic sense.
Want to try this with your child? You can easily construct an obstacle course at home or on the go using whatever materials and supplies you have available. No balance beams? Walk on a curb or draw a line on a sidewalk and have them “walk the plank.” No tunnel at home? Build ones using chairs and a bed sheet for children to crawl through. Create a zig/zag pattern outside using painters’ tape or sidewalk chalk to have children race through. Climbing stairs, balancing on one foot, rolling on a towel are obstacles you can set up in your home or out at a park. When you give young children opportunities to move in new and creative ways, you are helping them build a sense of their body and head in space. This will help them grow healthy brains and bodies to serve them for the rest of their lives.
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When you give young children opportunities to move in new and creative ways, you are helping them build a sense of their body and head in space.