How many times have you watched a child sit in a classroom chair, fighting the urge to move? It strikes a visceral chord in many of us who remember that awful tension that crept up through your neck and out through your arms. Sometimes it felt like you wanted to scream.
A recent article describes how school settings have continued to restrict movement in children and outlines why heavy gross motor play is essential to overall development.
It turns out that the strong, undeniable urge to move that we all remember helps children get what they need every day. Movement through play–especially play rich in sensory input–is one of the primary means for children to learn and achieve appropriate developmental milestones.
How can we better understand and address the ways our school schedules, environments and adult-centric views limit the opportunity for children to get what they need?
Madison Area GROW Coalition 