12 Pillars - Physical Movement

Physical movement and activitities help improve children's self esteem, confidence and aids in developing healthier social, cognitive and emotional skills. It also builds strength, concentration and coordination. One of the best ways that we encourage children to be active at the centre is by ensuring they have ample amounts of space and time for free play. Allowing plenty of time for play encourages children to explore and experiment ways to use the spaces in their own individual ways. 

When educators prepare the outdoor spaces they will work as a team using observations from the children to prepare an environment that will meet and challenge the children's current needs and interests. Our babies rooms utilise specialised equipment both in and outdoors to provide them with pleny of opportunities for mastering challenging movements, free movement and floor play. In our older age groups the children have a variety of equipment and play spaces that provide them with all kinds of physical movement and challenges. Each classroom also includes Music and Movement in their educational program where the children have the option to come together and explore various movements. Helping children develop a passion for movement in various forms. Our yoga educator also works across the centre helping children and educators explore movement, mindfulness and wellbeing.  

Our  educators encourage children to engage in various forms of Risky Play- which is a natural element of children's play and defined as a 'thrilling and exciting activity that involves a risk of physical injury: and play that provides opportunities for challenge, testing limits, exploring boundaries and learning about injury risk.' (Sandseter. 2007: Little Wyver .2008) Risky play enables children to make decisions regarding their own bodies and movements and make their own judgements and decisions on ways to move when they are : climbing, swinging, sliding, utilising real world tools, rough and tumble play and more.  Risky play helps children build resilience, persistence, balance, coordination, confidence, independence, creativity, inventiveness, resourcefulness, problem solving, cause and effect, understanding of consequences to actions as well as an awareness of the bodies capabilities and limits.