In this series (Learning Through Play), we will explore how play can foster growth in a variety of developmental milestones including speech & language, motor, and social-emotional skills.
From the earliest moments of our lives, play is a natural learning tool that helps us develop motor skills. Learning through play provides a joyful, yet effective pathway for children to develop these essential skills. Fortunately, children tend to be play enthusiasts! These skills include gross motor, fine motor, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination. Let’s talk about how play can impact your child’s motor development in each of these areas…
Be sure to check out our toy recommendations for motor development.
Children can learn gross motor skills through play.
As the foundation for physical movement and coordination, it is important for children to learn to master gross motor skills. These skills involve the use of the body’s large muscles and are vital for self-care tasks, sports, and recreational activities. Play provides a safe, fun environment for pushing physical boundaries, learning from their experiences, and developing a better understanding of their bodies.
Play ideas for gross motor development.
Classic games like tag, hide and seek, or relay races help children build agility and endurance.
Jumping rope, jumping on a trampoline, or playing hopscotch promote leg strength, coordination, balance, and timing.
Climbing play, like at that playground or safely on the couch, can help improve upper body strength, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness.
Soccer, baseball, or other sports require hand-eye coordination, balance, and agility in order to kick, dribble, or throw balls.
Riding bicycles or scooters are fun ways to help children develop their leg muscles, balance, and coordination.
Dance, yoga, or martial arts activities enhance body control, balance, and strength.
Children can learn fine motor skills through play.
Fine motor skills refer to the coordination of small muscle groups in the hands, fingers, and wrists to perform precise controlled movements. These skills are important for writing, buttoning a shirt, tying shoes, or using scissors. Play allows children to explore various textures, grasp objects, practice precision movements, and build hand strength.
Play ideas for fine motor development.
Stacking blocks or putting together a puzzle helps children learn to manipulate objects with finesse and accuracy.
Drawing, writing, or painting during artistic play can encourage children to experiment with different hand movement techniques and coordination.
Cutting with scissors requires precision and control, and helps to develop hand-eye coordination.
Using clay or play-doh can help children strengthen hand muscles, improving dexterity and endurance.
Playing with or manipulating small objects, like beads or small blocks, helps children develop their pincer grasp, which is essential for self-feeding and writing.
Children can learn spatial awareness through play.
In order to understand their body and its relation to the objects and spaces around it, children must develop spatial awareness. This skill helps children understand direction, distance, size, shape, and perspective so that they can confidently navigate in their physical environment. Spatial awareness is also important for reading maps, solving puzzles, and driving a car. Playful exploration of different environments offers a hands-on experience for learning these necessary skills.
Play ideas for spatial awareness development.
Natural exploration of a variety of spaces (e.g., pillow forts, tunnels, mazes) helps young children understand the dimensions and boundaries of the physical world.
Building with blocks or magnets encourages spatial thinking in order to plan and construct different structures.
Puzzles offer a challenge for children to analyze shapes, angles, and patterns in order to fit pieces within specific boundaries.
Using arts and crafts is a great way to help children think spatially as they attempt to translate three-dimensional images to paper.
Sports games with balls are highly demanding of spatial awareness. Children who engage in sports are constantly visualizing and planning in order to make effective plays.
Children can learn hand-eye coordination through play.
In order to interact with the environment effectively, children need to develop strong hand-eye coordination. This skill supports the synchronization of fingers and hands with visual input. Meaning, a child can use what they see with their eyes to help cue their brain to move their hands and fingers effectively in order to interact with objects. This is important for activities like catching a ball, typing, or playing an instrument.
Play ideas for hand-eye coordination.
Games with balls helps children develop hand-eye coordination as they visually time and plan their hand movements to accurately catch or throw.
Coloring or painting can encourage hand-eye coordination as children focus their movements to stay in the lines or draw shapes.
Toys with keys or shape sorters use hand-eye coordination to accurately manipulate the object in order to unlock the door or insert the shape.
Creating necklaces, bracelets, or stringing other beads uses precise hand-eye coordination as children “thread the needle”.
As you can see, play is remarkable tool for developing motor skills that will influence many aspects of your child’s life. Learning coordination, precision, balance, and spatial awareness is essential to your child’s ability to interact successfully with their environment. Using play to help your child explore and learn these fundamental skills will set the stage for a lifetime of creativity and independence.
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