Strands C and D: Self-Regulation and Well-Being; Belonging and Contributing · Me, My Feelings and My CommunityMovement Skills: Where and How I Move
C18.1 C18.2 C18.3 C18.4 C18.5 C17.2About 25 minutes
Learning goals- I can move in different directions: forward, backward and sideways.
- I can move on straight, curvy and zigzag pathways, and at high and low levels.
- I can move in a strong way or a light way.
- I can stretch gently and balance in different ways.
- I can use my hands and fingers to put things exactly where I want them.
Words to know
direction
The way you are going: forward, backward, sideways, up or down.
pathway
The shape of the path you move along: straight, curvy or zigzag.
level
How high or low your body is: high, middle or low.
stretch
Gently making your muscles long, so your body can bend and move easily.
flexible
Able to bend and stretch easily.
coordination
Making different parts of your body work together, like your eyes and your hands.
Robot or ribbon?
Grown-up, read this part out loud.
Move like a robot: stiff arms, straight legs, beep boop! 🤖
Now move like a ribbon blowing in the wind: wavy, floppy and soft. 🎀
You just moved in two very different ways! Today we'll learn where our bodies can move and how they can move.
Which way? Directions and levels
You can move in different directions:
- Forward ⬆️, like walking to the door.
- Backward ⬇️, slowly and carefully. Look over your shoulder!
- Sideways ↔️, like a crab 🦀.
- Up and down, like jumping up and crouching down.
You can also move at different levels:
- High: up on your tiptoes, arms reaching up.
- Middle: walking the regular way.
- Low: crawling or rolling close to the floor.
Pathways
A pathway is the shape your feet make as you move across the floor.
- Straight: no turns, like a line of tape.
- Curvy: smooth and wiggly, like a snake. 🐍
- Zigzag: sharp, pointy turns, like lightning. ⚡
While you move, keep your eyes up and watch where you're going, so you don't bump into anyone. That's your space bubble at work!
Strong or light, fast or slow
You can change how you move:
- Strong: stomp like an elephant. 🐘
- Light: tiptoe like a mouse. 🐭
- Fast: run like a cheetah.
- Slow: creep like a snail. 🐌
We use this in games too: a light toss to a friend who is close, and a strong throw to a friend who is far away.
Stretch and balance
Stretching helps your body bend and move easily. That's called being flexible.
- Reach for the sky: stretch both arms up high. 🙌
- Butterfly: sit, put the bottoms of your feet together, and gently flap your knees. 🦋
- Rainbow: stand tall and reach one arm up and over your head to the side, like a rainbow. 🌈 Then the other side.
- Toe reach: sit with your legs straight out and reach toward your toes.
Stretch slowly and hold while you count to 5. Stretch until you feel a gentle pull, not a hurt. No bouncing!
Balance isn't only standing on one foot. You can balance on different body parts:
- on two hands and two knees, like a table
- on two hands and one knee, with one leg out behind you
- on your bottom with your feet up off the floor, like a boat ⛵
Coordination: body parts working together
Coordination means making different parts of your body work together.
- Eyes and feet: kick a ball that is rolling toward you. ⚽
- Eyes and hands: roll a ball to knock down a tower of plastic cups. 🎳
- Both sides of your body: march and touch one hand to the opposite knee. Then switch!
Careful hands and fingers
Your small muscles help you put things exactly where you want them. Your eyes and fingers work together, and you think about space: where something fits, how much room there is, and what is next to it.
- Fit a puzzle piece into its spot. 🧩
- Put a sticker inside a circle.
- Colour inside a shape. 🖍️
- Pour water from one cup into another without spilling.
- Stack blocks into a tall tower without knocking it over.
- Trace a maze with your finger, then with a crayon.
Practice makes it easier
New moves feel wobbly at first. That's okay!
Every time you practise, your brain and muscles learn a little more. Try it, try again, and notice how you get better.
Just for funWhat moves in a zigzag but never walks?
Lightning! ⚡ Your turn: can you move in a zigzag too?
Worked exampleLet's plan a movement path
Let's plan a path across the room. We'll use directions, pathways, levels and strong or light moves.
- Start: Stand by the door. Walk forward on a straight pathway to the couch.
- Slide: Move sideways like a crab 🦀 along the couch.
- Zigzag: Move on a zigzag pathway, tiptoeing lightly like a mouse.
- Go low: Crawl at a low level under the table, like a bear.
- Finish: Stand up high on tiptoes, reach for the sky, then balance like a flamingo while you count to 5. 🦩
Our path used forward, sideways, straight, zigzag, light, low and high. Now you plan one!
Hands-on activityTape path and finger maze
You need: painter's tape or masking tape (or a skipping rope or yarn), paper, crayons, and a small toy car.
- Floor paths: With your grown-up, make three lines on the floor with tape: a straight line, a curvy line and a zigzag line.
- Walk forward along each line. Then try sideways. Then try backward, very slowly, with your grown-up beside you.
- Walk one line lightly on tiptoes, and one line strongly like an elephant.
- Finger maze: Grown-up, draw three roads on paper: straight, curvy and zigzag. Child, "drive" the toy car along each road, then trace each road with a crayon. Try to stay on the road!
- Cool-down: reach for the sky, butterfly, and rainbow stretches. Count to 5 for each.
Talk about it: "Which pathway was hardest? Which stretch felt best?"
Your turn
1Walk forward 5 steps. Now walk backward 5 steps, slowly.
Look for: steady steps forward, then slow, careful steps backward while looking over the shoulder.
2Slide sideways like a crab 🦀 across the room.
Look for: stepping to the side while the body faces forward.
3Move on a zigzag pathway. Then move on a curvy pathway.
Look for: sharp, pointy turns for zigzag, and smooth, wiggly turns for curvy.
4Show me a high level. Now show me a low level.
High: up on tiptoes with arms reaching up. Low: crouching, crawling or lying close to the floor.
5Stomp strongly like an elephant 🐘. Then tiptoe lightly like a mouse 🐭.
Look for: heavy, loud steps, then soft, quiet steps.
6Do a butterfly stretch 🦋 and count to 5.
Look for: sitting with the bottoms of the feet together and gently moving the knees. No bouncing and no pain.
7Put 5 pieces of cereal or dry pasta inside a circle drawn on paper, one at a time.
Look for: picking up each piece with the fingertips and placing it inside the circle.
More practice: warm-up
1Reach up high to the sky! 🙌
Look for: arms stretched up, maybe up on tiptoes.
2Balance on two hands and two knees, like a table.
Look for: a steady, flat back on hands and knees.
3Wiggle along a curvy pathway like a snake. 🐍
Look for: smooth, curvy turns.
4Fit a piece into a puzzle. 🧩
Look for: turning the piece until it fits into its spot.
5Kick a soft ball to your grown-up. ⚽
Look for: eyes on the ball, swinging the leg, and touching the ball with the foot.
More practice: on your own
1Draw a straight line, a curvy line and a zigzag line on paper. Then walk each one on the floor.
Straight has no turns. Curvy is smooth like a snake. Zigzag has sharp points like lightning. Look for moves that match each line.
2March and touch one hand to the opposite knee. Then switch. Do it 6 times.
Look for: crossing the hand over the middle of the body to the other knee, taking turns with each side. That's coordination.
3Over the sink, pour water from one cup into another without spilling.
Look for: holding the cups steady, tilting slowly, and watching the water. A few drips are fine!
4Balance like a boat ⛵: sit on your bottom and lift your feet off the floor. Count to 5.
Look for: staying steady for a count of 5. Hands on the floor can help at first.
5Stand far back and roll a ball to knock down 3 plastic cups. Do you need a strong roll or a light roll?
A strong roll, because you are far away. Look for aiming and keeping eyes on the cups.
Challenge
1Plan your own movement path with 3 parts: a direction, a pathway and a level. Then do it!
Answers will vary. Example: "Walk backward, then zigzag, then crawl low." Look for 3 parts named and then done.
2Build a tower of 10 blocks without knocking it over. What helps?
Placing each block gently, right in the middle of the one below, going slowly, and watching carefully. That's careful hands and thinking about space.
3Why do we stretch slowly, and stop if it hurts?
A stretch should feel like a gentle pull. Bouncing or pushing too hard can hurt your muscles. Going slowly keeps your body safe.
Quiz
1. Which pathway looks like lightning ⚡?
2. Crawling under a table is moving at a...
3. How should a stretch feel?
4. Tiptoeing quietly like a mouse is a ___ way to move.
5. Which one uses careful hands and fingers?
Big idea: This lesson builds the movement skills and concepts in C18: moving safely through space with directions, pathways and levels (C18.1), large-muscle control (C18.2), balance, coordination and flexibility (C18.3), and small-muscle control and spatial awareness when placing, stacking and tracing (C18.4, C18.5). Practising until a move gets easier builds persistence (C17.2). It extends Active Play: Moving My Body.
How to help at home:
- Use the words in everyday life: "Let's zigzag to the car!" "Can you tiptoe lightly past the baby?" "Crawl at a low level to the bath!"
- Make stretching a calm bedtime or after-play routine. Stretches should be slow, held for a count of about 5, and never painful.
- Clear a safe space before moving games, and stay beside your child for backward walking.
- Offer small-muscle play often: puzzles, pouring in the bath, pegs, stickers, lacing cards, tongs and play dough.
Common difficulties:
- Mixes up curvy and zigzag. "Zigzag has pointy corners. Curvy is smooth." Draw both and trace them with a finger.
- Doesn't know left and right yet. That's normal at this age. Say "opposite knee" and show it.
- Spills when pouring. Start with a small amount of water and bigger cups, then make it harder.
- Wobbly balance. Let them hold a chair or your hand at first, then let go a little at a time.
If you have ongoing concerns about your child's balance or coordination, talk with their educator or your family doctor.