Five Ways Children can be More Active During the School Day

Many preschool children thrive off movement and activity. Most of the moments they are sitting still they are planning their next adventure. It's not shocking then that school can be a hard concept for these active children.

Rather than tell them to stop and change who they are, we should work with them to focus their energy in positive and productive ways. However, as a Boise Preschool, it can be hard to get children outside every day. Due to the rapid changes in the weather, we must often look for ways to get the active inside.

Active Seating

Though not decades old, the concept of “active seating” isn’t new. Many offices in Boise, as well as the rest of the USA, have been implementing yoga balls, bouncing dinosaurs and other forms of active seating to brighten the day. Not just meant for adults, these types of seats can be of great interest to a child too.

Though children will still have to sit, they can use these seating balls to focus their energy as well as work on balance and coordination. For the more active and restless children, the ability to bounce and move more than in a regular seat can help them transition to an average classroom over time rather than all at once.

Skills from Sports

Our Boise Preschool firmly believes in active learning in every sense of the word. We think that children should learn by using all their senses and skills. While many times this involves hands-on activities that encourage the children to speak. Sometimes though, it refers to getting them out of their seats and moving.

Getting them moving is quickly done with indoor games and activities like martial arts. In doing this, the children learn more than just a skill that can keep them in shape. They learn the valuable skills of problem-solving, respect, and teamwork. Finding high energy activities like these can help children to learn while getting their activity in for the day.

Gym Class

Leading off the last topic, even preschoolers need gym class. Though this isn’t the gym class you might have taken in high school, it’s a way to make sure these kids are getting the exercise they need. Getting them to run fun races or play soccer can work on many team and dexterous skills while giving them extra time outside. Taking them through a “mini” boot camp can make them feel like an adult while teaching them that hard work can be fun. As a bonus, children often listen better when they have worked out all their energy.

Standing Lessons

If you’ve ever taught a kid to count, you may have watched them jump as they counted. It’s not uncommon. It helps them to remember. It may seem harder for the teacher to control, but standing lessons are great for children’s minds and activity levels. When learning the ABCs, counting, or adding preschool students in our Biose Preschool often can jump or stand while learning. This can be as simple as one student coming to the front of the classroom to use the poster or as group oriented as the whole class holding hands and jumping along.

Time-In

No child is perfect. When learning to attend a preschool, there will be mess-ups and problems from fights to crying sessions. Rather than putting the child into a timeout, try time-in. Use physical activities to help the child learn how they feel and why. It’s important to think about each move and how it can help the child.

For example, if you are having issues between two children, bring them together to work out their differences. Though young, these three and four-year-old preschoolers are smart. Get them to work together to reach the end of an obstacle course or to complete a task. Another example would be in playing Ring Around the Rosie to get a shy or sad child up and involved without focused pressure.
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There are many ways to get kids active inside. Here at Bodies in Motion, we want to make sure that your kid is learning and moving to grow to be the best kid they can be.