Generally speaking, we all know today’s kids aren’t moving enough. Taking this further, we can prove kids aren’t moving enough. How? The rate of childhood obesity is climbing rapidly. Logically, this means kids aren’t moving like they used to or like they should.
So obviously this impacts their health, both immediate and long term.
But what are the more immediate implications?
Learning is harder than it needs to be. School is harder than it needs to be.
What?
When kids move their bodies, their bodies give their brains vital information on how to operate in the world (like being a friend, using manipulatives), how to use the body to learn (like writing and reading) and how to sit still and attend. When kids don’t move enough, the 3Rs, self-regulation and self-control are harder than they should be.
And when the brain is not getting what it needs from the body (movement to feed developmental needs and classroom expectations) then the brain will make the body move anyway. And what does this look like? Bad behavior, an inability to self-regulate or poor self-control.
For example:
- Children need to spin, swing, slide, logroll, hang upside down, do somersaults and cartwheels so their heads move in multiple planes and directions. When this happens their eyes have to move and adjust to find a focal point so their brains understand where they are in space and which way is up. This allows the brain to tell the body how to adjust posture and balance in response to the movement. This focal point, developed primarily from moving the body, then becomes strong enough to keep letters and numbers still on a page when it is time to read, write and practice math. When children haven’t moved enough, their brains are going to make them wiggle, squirm, even spin and run to feed this developmental need. And it is going to look like bad behavior, poor self-control or the inability to self-regulate when really it is more likely a need for MORE movement. SOLUTION: swings, monkey bars, slides, sit and spins, bikes, downward facing dog, log rolling down hills, somersaulting.
- Children need to jump, push, pull and climb to put pressure on their joints so they understand force. This sense of force helps them understand the difference in the force needed to pet a kitten or hold an egg versus the force needed to hit a pinata with a stick to knock it open. It is this same understanding of force that allows them to understand how much force is needed to put pencil to paper without breaking the tip, or how to play tag without hurting a friend. When children don’t experience enough pushing, pulling jumping, and climbing, their brains will feed that need with aggressive tackling, slamming bodies into walls and friends, bear hugging and constant wrestling. And it is going to look like bad behavior, poor self-control or the inability to self-regulate when really it is more likely a need for MORE movement. SOLUTION: carrying buckets of sand or water, wiping down tables, carrying heavy things like books or bags, running uphill, building forts, pushing or pulling a sled or wagon filled with heavy things, digging, climbing.
- Children need strength in their bodies to learn, particularly core strength. The stronger the core, the more smooth moving and controlled the appendages, so moving arms and hands to write or hold a book is easier with a strong mid-section. Additionally, when children are in elementary school and beyond, they have to sit for long periods of time, at a desk or table. If the core is weak, this is challenging and very uncomfortable. A child with poor core strength is going to wiggle, change sitting positions or even slump over the desk or slide down in their chair. Whatever they do, this struggle for comfort is going to take up all their brain power. Since children can’t multi-task, their brains will be more concerned with their comfort than listening to the teacher. And all this wiggling for lack of comfort is going to look like bad behavior, poor self-control or the inability to self-regulate when really it is more likely a need for MORE movement. SOLUTION: Most big body play, climbing, running, bear/crab/traditional crawling, jumping, balancing, monkey bars, building forts, digging.
- Children need to get aerobic by running hard. Aerobic movement causes the release of a chemical in the brain that turns on executive function and makes the brain fertile for new synapsis. This means learning is easier, attending is easier and self-regulation and self-control are easier. Kids naturally want to run: open a classroom door, the gate to the playground or the door to the gym. What do they do? They run and squeal in delight. This is Mother Nature’s way of making them enjoy aerobic movement so they will do more of it. If they don’t release this chemical in their brains, their brains are going to crave this movement anyway and they will wiggle when they shouldn’t to feed that developmental need. And it will look like bad behavior, poor self-control or the inability to self-regulate when really it is more likely a need for MORE movement. SOLUTION: tag and chase games, running after balls, or bubbles.*
Notice that every solution we have proposed is free, easy and readily available on any playground or backyard. These are all activities children innately love and gravitate towards, all we have to do is make them available.
If you are a teacher, consider incorporating more of this into your school day (more ideas here.)
If you are a parent, this is nothing more than what your parents did for you, and their parents before them.
This kind of big body play is exactly what generations of children have done, building these vital strengths and skills needed for classroom success … and beyond.
*Preschool aged and young elementary aged children cannot regulate heat well. This makes them interval trainers and that is fine. If you watch them, they will run hard, pause and repeat. They are still getting aerobic and releasing juicy chemicals in their brains!
