5 Super Easy Ways to Integrate Movement Into Learning
Why Kids Need to Move to Learn
Movement is essential for keeping kids alert and ready to learn, and we know this. How do kids move? They fidget. Yes, the dreaded fidget. I’m not talking about toys but the natural movements of the body. You do it too. We all do. Yet, somehow in the school setting, adults often find fidgeting problematic. Kids bounce their legs, rock in their chairs, twirl their hair, tap pencils, and wiggle their bodies. Some kids do it more than others.
How can the adults create OPPORTUNITIES for ORGANIC movement in a kids day?
5 Super Easy Ways to Integrate Movement into Learning in Any Environment
Vary their position.
Not all children need to sit down while learning. In fact, children typically do best when they are moving their bodies! So, allowing your child to stand up while writing, or sit on a therapy ball for math, or using a semi-inflated beach ball as a sitting aid can provide beneficial movement while they work.
Keep it fun and Interesting!
Make the activity fun and interesting to feed their nervous system and keep them alert for learning. What if your child was learning how to spell words and instead of writing them out 10 times each, you laid out pieces of paper with letters of the alphabet on the floor and they jumped to each letter in order to spell out the spelling word?
When a child moves their body, it helps them focus and regulate themselves for learning. Who can argue with that?
Put it on the vertical.
Puzzles, stickers, drawing. There’s nothing better than doing any writing on a vertical surface and your sliding glass door or your front window is exactly the place it should be done. (I also use Crayola Twistables Slick Stix Crayons). These are wax type crayons that easily come off of glass easily with a wipe. When you allow your child to write on a vertical surface it not only brings the child into a standing position (for good attention), it allows them to strengthen their shoulders– which is super important for having a base for fine motor skills. PLUS it’s way interesting!
Use the core.
Have your child stand on an uneven surface. A wobble board, bosu ball, or even a couch cushion while working. This will strengthen the core and keep your child in the “just right” place for learning.
Inverting heads.
Place objects (crayons, markers, toys, puzzle pieces) on the floor. Let the child squat and stand or sit and reach down to get the objects and use them. Every time you invert the head; it allows the child to get vestibular input- which can be alerting or calming (depending). It’s a great way to get kids to keep working.
Learning is fun and effective with some extra movement!
If you want to explore how to integrate movement into your child’s learning experience, give Therapeeps Occupational Therapy a call at (605)-204-0677 or complete our intake form. We love helping kids thrive through creative and engaging approaches to learning.
