Children’s bodies and minds grow together. From birth, children use their whole bodies to engage with the world. A baby seems to smile with their toes, reaching out with every part of their being to express delight. A toddler picks up a ball in each hand and then looks intensely at a third ball, reasoning about what will happen if they stop to pick it up. A preschooler rides a tricycle with a friend around the playground, sees a hose, and says, “I think we need more gas.” A child in the primary grades rehearses a dance performance with a friend. At every stage, the child’s physical development connects to their social emotional and cognitive development.
Motor Development
Early childhood educators may use the Early Learning Guidelines to design the learning environment to support children’s growing motor skills. For example, the Guidelines suggest providing space and time for infants to freely move and explore, rather than confining them to swings, walkers, and seats. Higher levels of physical activity in early childhood have also been associated with lower incidence of obesity chronic disease in adulthood.
The Guidelines contain lists of materials that support the development of children’s ability to use the small muscles in their hands and wrists at each age. Young children benefit from such activities as cooking, sculpting, tinkering, weaving, and sewing, which strengthen their hands. Small muscle strength is essential for efficient and legible handwriting.
Young children are just discovering the world with all of its sensations. Early childhood educators can create learning environments that nourish, delight, and intrigue the child’s senses. Nature provides a perfect balance of beautiful, soothing, and stimulating experiences. Educators often notice that when they provide children with satisfying sensory experiences, children are happier, calmer, more engaged, and apt to sleep better.
Physical Well-Being
With the guidance of caring educators, young children gradually develop responsibility for their physical well-being. It is important for educators to have conversations with families to create alignment with families’ expectations around physical care. Some toddlers are eager to do routine self-care activities, such as hand washing and tooth brushing, by themselves. Providing children with materials and tasks they can manage independently develops their positive sense of self. As children move from the preschool to the primary grades, they can increasingly use signs with print and pictures to follow the steps of self-care routines.
Young children may also be eager to take responsibility for their physical safety and well-being. When given the opportunity, children often make good decisions about managing risk. The Early Learning Guidelines provide guidance about creating safe learning environments and closely monitoring children’s risk-taking.
The foundation for healthy sexuality starts at birth. The revised Early Learning Guidelines include information about children’s sexual development at each age and suggestions for how educators can work with families to ensure that each child has a healthy relationship to their body, pleasure, and gender.