Made to Move!

When was the last time you got down on the floor and rolled around?

Jumped like a frog? Danced like the wind? Climbed, spun or crawled
around? Probably not in a long time! For most adults we’ve forgotten how
important movement is as a way of learning, exploring and understanding the
world and ourselves – this is especially true for young children.

As anyone who has ever known a 3 to 5 year old they are made to MOVE!
Education for Life defines the ages of 0-6 as the “physical years,” when
children are exploring and relating to the world primarily through their
body and their senses. Preschoolers at Living Wisdom School get the chance
to move every day and one of our primary tools for incorporating movement
is yoga. One of the favorite class jobs is “pose of the day” where one
student gets to lead the others in a fun, kid-friendly yoga pose.
Sometimes we even invent our own yoga poses! Student gain so much
confidence and body-awareness no matter what the actual shape we make is.

The opportunities for engaging bodies, minds and hearts through movement
are endless allowing us to incorporate movement into our entire day. And
the best part is everyone is having so much fun, which means everyone wants
to participate! Willingness is everything when it comes to learning and
growing. This is especially important in preschool when students are
having their first experiences of school – an impression that can follow
them for years to come. While some schools feel the need to focus on more
cognitive skills at this age, we understand that working with the
body-centered energy that children naturally exhibit at this stage of
development will be of greatest benefit. By being encouraged to explore
and develop their awareness and control of their physical body they are
gaining skills that will be the building blocks of later learning.

For more information about the importance of movement in early childhood
see these articles.