Guess what? Climbing a tree, pulling a wagon, kicking a ball, swinging, logrolling, and digging in dirt have a direct impact on a child’s academic and social success.
Yep — hard to believe, but completely true!
Think about this: for all of human history, children have spent most of their time in independent, self-directed play. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that children were expected to spend significantly more school time at a desk to focus on academics. At the same time, technology advances exploded, leading to an extraordinary rise in sedentary free-time activities.
But these behaviors are not how our bodies and brains are designed. This is not how our bodies and brains are meant to develop. When we treat the body like it’s only supposed to carry the brain around to think for us, then we ignore the simple fact that the brain needs the body in order to perform at its highest and most effective level.
Mother Nature did not have an iPad, iPhone, computer, or TV. She did not design the human brain to use technology for growth and success. Mother Nature did not design the human child to use technology to thrive. Screen use, any screen use, is a sedentary activity. It is counterproductive to growing a thriving, successful brain.
What’s more, it doesn’t make sense to depend on screens and sedentary activity as the foundation for a young child’s development because elementary school is made up of motor-based skills: Reading, writing, and math all depend on a motor-based foundation. And the best way to build those motor-based skills for elementary success is with play, mostly big-body play, in every aspect of a child’s day.
What do we mean by this?
- Digging, pushing, and pulling help build hand strength to hold a pencil.
- Swinging, bear crawling, and carrying a bucket of water help build core strength to sit comfortably in a chair.
- Climbing under a fence, climbing a tree, or building a fort helps children understand how much space they take up and how to move their appendages so they can move a pencil across a page to write a word.
- Skipping, pumping on a swing, and clapping build an internal understanding of rhythm and timing for math, speaking, and logical reasoning.
- Digging in the sand, hitting a piñata, and kicking a ball help children understand force so they can put pencil to paper without breaking the tip, tag a friend gently, or hold an egg without breaking it.
- Sliding, spinning, log rolling, and hanging upside down develop a focal point so letters and words don’t jump on the page when reading.
This means — sitting with an iPad or a phone is not supporting what Mother Nature designed a child’s body and brain to do. Sitting in front of a screen is just that: sitting. It is sedentary. And kids need to move to learn. All their learning is action-based.
So what can you do? Here are 6 sure-fire ways to build strong bodies and brains!
- Invest in fun stuff with which to play. And I don’t mean shiny stuff with bright colors made by adults. Those have limited use for children and their imagination. What I am suggesting instead are things that cost a tiny fraction of an iPad, but are pure magic when it comes to brain growth. These supplies get the body working – really working – to stimulate neural synapses. What kinds of things?
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- old pots and pans
- cookie sheets
- muffin pans
- colander and sieves
- spatulas and big spoons
- 2x4s and planks
- 5-gallon buckets
- PVC pipe
- hay bales
- old tires
- child-sized wheelbarrow
- child-sized snow shovel
- child-sized rake
- access to water, sand, and dirt
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- Make an appointment for Big Body Play EVERY DAY. Put it on your calendar and stick to it. If your child gets up early, take advantage of that time with some outdoor play. If your child needs a wind down after dinner, head outside. If you can get to school early or can stay a little late, and it is permitted, hit the playground.
- Weather is not a big deal. As a matter of fact, less-than-perfect weather can be magical. Rain or cold just need the right clothes – boots, mittens, rain jackets, or heavy coats. The cool thing about a change in weather is that everything looks different and responds differently when the weather is different. A dump truck has more to do in the rain, a bucket is more fun to fill with wet things, grass crunches under feet in the
- Say YES even to things that may seem a little risky. Chances are, your child is pretty good at regulating risk. So, if he wants to jump down from a hay bale, he probably can. If she wants to make a plank bridge and walk across it, she probably can. Scuffed knees are not catastrophes. Muddy pants are not the end of the world. Instead, they are essential for learning: it will heal, it can be cleaned, and we can move on to the next challenge!
- Independence. Children can do a lot! Try to use this Rule of Thumb: Never do something for your child that your child can do without help. Whether it is carrying a tote bag, clearing the dinner dishes, hanging up a coat, or putting laundry in the hamper, scaffold your child’s independence. First of all, independence feels good. Kids want to be independent. They want to do things for themselves, and they want to feel like big kids. Succeeding at these tasks builds confidence to try new things. Even better, all of these tasks help kids build crucial skills and strengths they need for the classroom. Hanging up a coat builds eye-hand coordination and motor planning. Carrying groceries builds grip strength and upper body strength. When these skills are not well-honed, learning is hard. So, building these skills while developing independence is a double bonus.
- Leave the iPad at home and the phone tucked away for any car trips that are less than an hour, for rides in the grocery cart, or in the stroller. Instead, these are opportunities ripe for building literacy and math skills while running errands, shopping, or walking the dog. For example:
- Count how many red cars you see on your drive
- Play classic “I Spy” in the grocery store by searching out a letter or number.
- Count the green vegetables in the produce aisle. Bonus: after you name the vegetable, have your child repeat the name.
- Sing a song or practice nursery rhymes. These rhythms support math and reasoning skills.
- Respond to the question “Why?” with “Why do you think?” Then discuss the answer – you just might learn something from your child!
