Saturday, December 1, 2018

Physical Development in Children

by Lisa Wood

 

What is physical development?
Physical development focuses on increasing the skill and performance of the body. The peak of physical development happens in childhood and is therefore a crucial time for neurological brain development and body coordination to encourage specific activities such as grasping, writing, crawling, and walking. Physical development can be divided into gross motor skills and fine motor skills.

Gross Motor Control
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Gross motor control involves balance and stability with such movement as kicking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, throwing, catching and galloping. Moving the large muscles in the body, specifically the arms and legs consciously and deliberately, increases gross motor skills.

Fine Motor Control

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Achieving fine motor control involves using and coordinating the small muscles in the hand and wrists with mastery. During the development process, children can self-help and manipulate small objects such as scissors and writing tools. Fine motor skills generally follow gross motor development.
 
Stages of Physical Development in Children 

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  • Infant
During the first few weeks and months of an infant's life, her movements are reflexive or involuntary in nature. Some reflex actions exhibited by the newborn infant include the startle reflex, which is elicited by sudden loud sounds or position changes, and the grasp reflex, in which an infant instinctively grasps objects put in her hands or feet. Between the ages of 1 month and 1 year, a child should be able to hold her head up on her own, sit without support, creep or crawl, walk, grasp objects on her own and pick up small objects with her thumb and forefinger.
  •  Toddler
A toddler is between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. At this time, a child's physical development should include being able to walk without help, jump in place, go up a staircase, hold a cup of water, scribble with a crayon and copy a circle. During this period, a child should also be able to ride a tricycle and build a tower of blocks.
  •  Preschooler
The preschool years occur between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. The preschooler attains physical skills at this point that should include standing on one foot for ten seconds or more, hopping or skipping, swinging and climbing, throwing and catching a ball, using a fork and spoon and drawing a person with a body. At this stage, your preschooler may be able to take care of his toileting needs, according to the National Network for Child Care.
  • School-Aged Child
A child between the ages of 6 and 12 years is considered a school-aged child. The movements of the school-aged child are more graceful and coordinated. School-aged children have good hand-eye coordination and can engage in activities like cutting and pasting, swimming, soccer, basketball, hiking and playing video games.

Parental Involvement 

Play is the most beneficial activity for promoting early childhood physical development. The most significant factor children need from play with parents is to have fun while doing it. The most efficient way to play with your child is to provide interesting and exciting environments like pretend play at home as well as frequent visits to playgrounds, children’s gyms, and/or other community facilities designed just for children. 
  • Have a block building contest.
  • Walk with the kids and provide them with the opportunity to run and jump and use their large muscles.
  • Prepare a simple obstacle course for your child to jump over and run around in your backyard or in the house. 
  •  Play catch with balls. You can also play games that will help the child learn to kick and throw the ball.
  • Have a mini dance party at home. Put on some music and dance with your child
  • Play pretend games like laying a tightrope on the ground and trying to balance on it.
  • Get creative with art. Provide your child ample opportunities to draw in and around the house.
  • Get some child-safe scissors and teach your kid some craft work.
  • Get toys that can boost physical development in your child like a tricycle, basketball hoop or hula hoops.
  • Have a water pool in the backyard and encourage your child to splash or paddle under supervision.
  • Get your child to help with simple fun chores like bathing the dog or washing the car.
  • Ensure that your child has adequate sleep to enable overall development.
  • Take the child for a routine check-up to catch any issues early.    
More Reading on Physical Development

 Video 

Supporting Physical Development in Infants and Toddlers

 

 References




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