In this digital age, it’s important that we encourage our children to take a break from screens to move their bodies; this is the only way they will develop their gross motor skills.
Gross motor skills impact the ability to control whole-body movements by using large muscles in the arms, legs and torso; they also help to increase balance, co-ordination, physical strength and muscle endurance.
“The body is a tool for learning, and we know that children acquire knowledge and skills through movement, physical activity, and play,” says MGGS’s Executive Director of Artemis Programs, Sally Bailey.
“Freedom of movement is essential for children to meet developmental milestones – physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively – and integral to leading healthy and fulfilling lives.” – Sally Bailey, Executive Director of Artemis Programs
So, how can we ensure children develop these skills? MGGS’s Early Learning Centre offers the following programs and facilities to keep our youngest Grammarians moving their bodies.
Jumpstart
Every week, our ELC kids visit the Jumpstart room in our Artemis Centre for a gymnastic session. Here, they develop strength and flexibility, while also building focus, self-discipline, perseverance and courage.
“Our Jump Start Gymnastics program is an enriching and playful experiential program for our early learners,” Sally explains.
“What would you see if you looked through the window? Lots of rolling, tumbling, crawling, leaping, bounding, climbing, and balancing… movements which involve multiple body parts, performed in multiple planes, and often in multiple directions… plus, plenty of effort and happy faces!
“It’s a space in which our learners express their agency to manipulate and orient their bodies in space, whilst building their confidence, physical capabilities, connection with others, and their character. What awesome superpowers!”
Ready Steady Go
For our four-year-olds, we hold an additional weekly sport lesson to complement the Jumpstart program. Ready Steady Go is an introductory platform that teaches the skills needed for ten different sports, preparing kids for ‘big school’. They might be doing basketball skills one week, cricket the other, they get to try so many things and really work on the skills that can apply to many sports.
Racetrack and Botanical Gardens
Next to the ELC is our racetrack – an open space which allows Grammarians to ride trikes, bikes, scooters, play ball games, skip, and more. We also make weekly trips to the Royal Botanic Gardens for our girls to engage in physical activity while surrounded by its beautiful flora.
Physical Education Program
Gross motor skills don’t just benefit the physical body, they also improve academic performance by developing functions such as memory and focus. Our ELC’s Physical Education Program lays the foundations for long-lasting physical literacy, boosting confidence and self-esteem in the process.
Margaret Sellar, Head of Early Learning at Melbourne Girls Grammar, explains how our educators are committed to providing opportunities for the girls to exercise their physical muscles and develop a positive attitude to physical play. “It may be in music, yoga, or creative dance experiences, building with blocks in the playground, playing games on the racetrack, exploring in the Royal Botanic Gardens or in our specialist Gymnastic and Sport classes.”
“These experiences not only provide endless opportunities to practice co-ordination, balance, flexibility and motor planning.” – Margaret Sellar, Head of Early Learning
“They also encourage children to assess their own risk-taking skills, develop spatial awareness and enhance sensory motor integration”, she explains. All those elements lead to physical health and forming good habits with our youngest learners.
You can read more about how MGGS swaps screen time for outdoor education in our latest edition of Information Exchange!