303 Preschooler-Approved Exercises and Active Games is written
specifically for children ages 2-5 years old. In the Building Blocks of
Fitness section, each fitness and sport skill is taught in different
stages. This allows teachers, counselors, or parents to teach their
preschooler a skill that sets the foundation of a more difficult skill;
the next level adds a new and more complex element. By doing this, the
preschool child will be safe and will feel confident about themselves.
Children will learn:
- Sportsmanship
- Socialization skills
- Self-control
- How to focus and follow rules
- How to share
- Reasoning and thinking skills
The preschool years are filled with milestones and major physical
changes; young children will develop physically, intellectually,
emotionally, and socially. During this time, lifestyle behaviors begin
to emerge that can define a pattern of behaviors all the way through
adulthood. It is vital to a child's health to instill healthy lifestyle
habits, behaviors, and disciplines during these young years. Through
creative physical activities and easy-to-follow guidelines, this book
will teach families how to navigate their dynamic and hectic lifestyles
into a healthy and active lifestyle. Being physically active is an
invaluable gift for a child, a gift that keeps on giving even into
adulthood.
What motivates a five year old will be different than what motivates a
twelve year old. It's not a "one size fits all" when it comes to
fitness. Children have specific physiologic differences that make them
unique; they grow, mature and develop skills at different ages, so what
may be skill appropriate for one child could be harmful for another
child, fitness programs, exercises and activities must be designed
specific to each developmental stage. Think of fitness in terms of
building a pyramid. In order to have a strong foundation, preschoolers
must learn the basic building blocks of fitness. Each year, as kids grow
older, they are building on the foundations that were created in the
previous years and moving on to more complex movements and skills.
Moving from hitting a stationary ball to one that is thrown, bouncing a
ball with two hands to bouncing it with one, and progressing from a bike
with training wheels to one without, are all milestones that are
accomplished during childhood. Kids will play longer and harder than
those at the earlier stage of development. They can actually follow
multi-task directions (e.g., run to the cone, jump up and down three
times, then run back to me) and enjoy playing in a group more.
For quick access and easy to follow directions, the activities are
organized into six sections of different games and exercises that can
easily fit into a child's allotted playtime. Throughout these sections,
children can become more aware of their bodily functions, develop
sportsmanship and team-working skills, increase energy expenditure, help
strengthen muscles and bones, and improve cardiovascular endurance.
Preschoolers can decrease the risk of serious illnesses later in life
while increasing their creative development. Play and exercise helps
children to grow and learn about how the world works. 303
Preschooler-Approved Exercises and Active Games is a physically active
way to bring fun and laughter into a child's life.
