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Physical Play at BestStart Vivian Street
Tamariki in the Infants and Toddlers space are always practising and developing their physical abilities. They are developing new skills and strengthening old ones every day through their play and experiences. Kaiako support their interests through utilising the environment as the third teacher and setting up the outside environment to support the growing interest in challenging themselves physically through their play.
Children are offered a range of play equipment that will encourage them to move their bodies and problem-solve ways to challenge themselves. They learn to roll, reach and grab, crawl, walk, climb, jump and hop, and much more. Through everyday experiences, they learn how to manoeuver themselves and their bodies with the current skills they hold. This supports tamariki to extend their learning by knowing their limits and boundaries. Children in the Infants and Toddlers space love to explore and challenge their bodies, whether it be climbing onto the chair in an unusual or challenging way, climbing up the stairs and then problem-solving coming back down the other side, or mastering the starting skills of rolling.
Physical Play supports the development of fine and gross motor skills, hand and eye co-ordination, confidence in controlling their bodies, developing an awareness of space, learning limits, releasing energy, and having the ability to work with and alongside others by learning to co-operate and share. These skills support their lifelong learning and development to form the foundation of their early learning and development.