There is a moment every early childhood educator knows. A child is deep in play, completely absorbed, doing something that looks, to an untrained eye, like nothing in particular.
NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
In partnership with families and specialists, one teacher transformed her learning environment to help children actively and safely engage in motor activities.
The benefits of outdoor play aren’t just physical. It allows children to challenge themselves and become appraisers of risk. This, in turn, helps develop cognitive, social and emotional, and self-regulatory skills.
In this article, we share strategies for incorporating fine and large motor skills into daily learning experiences and highlight a lesson from one preschool class.
Authored by
Authored by:
Amy August, Maria Fusaro, Andrea Golloher, Emily Slusser, Jihyun Lee, Julie Sliva Spitzer
The farm to early care and education initiative includes a variety of strategies that encourage the use of local foods in meals and snacks, gardening opportunities, and food-based learning activities that promote children’s health and well-being.
