We hope this Monday Morning finds you well rested and energized from the weekend! Are you ready for some whole body, gross motor movement?
Have you seen our Clinical Closeup Page? It’s a great resource for easy-to-understand definitions of common child development terms. On that page, we define “gross motor skills”:
Clinical Definition:
Gross Motor Skills are abilities usually acquired during infancy and early childhood as part of a child’s motor development. By the time they reach two years of age, almost all children are able to stand up, walk and run, walk up stairs, etc.
These skills are built upon, improved and better controlled throughout early childhood, and continue in refinement throughout most of the individual’s years of development into adulthood. These gross movements come from large muscle groups and whole body movement. These skills develop in a head-to-toe order. The children will typically learn head control, trunk stability, and then standing up and walking.
The Inspired Treehouse Explanation:
Think of your child using their BIG muscles. These are the muscles that are in charge of major movements like walking, kicking a ball, picking something up., jumping. Each one of these gross motor skills adds on to another to create an even bigger skill.
Here are some of the gross motor activities for kids that were shared on our Facebook page last week!
Giselle from KIDS YOGA STORIES has a series that features a new yoga pose each month. This month was cat pose! Click on over to Giselle’s site to see how to do this pose, the benefits, counterposes, and variations. While your there, browse around. She has amazing stuff!!
Melissa from FIREFLIES AND MUDPIES shared these super fun and very active Halloween games for kids. I love her creativity! Head on over to learn how to play Franken-seek, Ghost Races, and more!
And, finally, THE CHIRPING MOMS rocked Movement Monday again this week with their Fall Fun Nature Hike and free printable. Get outside and, as these ladies say, “take some time to slow down and focus on the changes that fall brings”.
Now it’s your turn! Head on over to our Facebook Page, give us a “like” if you haven’t already and then post your favorite gross motor activity! You may be featured here next week!
You can also check out that Clinical Close-up page if you’re in the mood to learn something new or get a little refresher about child development terminology! The next time you take your kiddo to the pediatrician, you can impress the heck out of everyone! :)
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!