Preschool outdoor motor activities are often directed through free play on play structures. Although these structures are unavoidable in schools and day care centers, they are only a bit effective in developing children’s gross motor skills. A brief analysis as well as recent research results will help you to be aware and adapt your approach strategy as spring comes knocking at our door.

Gross Motor Intensity
One of the first intentions when you go outside to play with children is to give them fresh air, an opportunity to expend their extra energy, and to stimulate gross motor skills due to the lack of space indoors. Unfortunately, Canadian children have an average of 24 minutes per day of moderate motor activity (children perspiring and breathing a little harder) to high (children are sweating and more red and breathless) while the norm is 60 minutes for the 5-17 year old age group. Although this responsibility does not rest entirely on the stakeholders in the school system or the early childhood network, outdoor gross motor activities offered to children should be more varied and intense. In my January column on the 22 fundamental motor skills (running, jumping, skipping, throwing, kicking , catching, hitting with a stick, etc.), I pointed out that these skills represent a large part of gross motor movements that we must prioritize with preschoolers and even up to as old as 12. As these skills require a fair amount of room, they must be done in a large space (multi-purpose room, gym) and outside.

Effectiveness of Outdoor Play Structures
When we take the time to analyze, strictly from the gross motor point of view, traditional play structures (slide, stair climber, ladder, rope net, bridge, swing, etc.) are limited in terms of motor efficiency for the following reasons:

 Only 5 cover the fundamental motor skills out of a total of 22 (crawling, jumping from a high place, balancing on 1 or 2 feet, climbing and walking on a balance). Movements such as swinging and sliding are not recognized as motor skills.
 Locomotion is not enough simulation apart from the climbing, jumping down from up high, and walking on a balance.
 Manipulation of objects (kicking, throwing, hitting, catching) can’t be done with play structures.
This short but striking analysis allows us to realize that play structures do not meet children’s primary motor needs required for coordination and movement. Moreover, research shows that global coordination skills (running, skipping, jumping, hopping, throwing, kicking) contribute to good synapses (neural connections) that will influence the overall development of children as they mature.

Benefits of Outdoor Motor Activities
Depending on your yard and its physical layout , we have be able to find plenty of space for play that favors moderate to high intensity movement. An example of a motivating activity that stimulates overall coordination with the proper intensity level:
Speed Challenge Game All of the children stand on a line with an object that can be manipulated well (Frisbee, cone, hoop, bowling pins) and resistant to outdoor conditions. At the signal, children carry their object (ex. on the head, under the arms, between the legs) and move (ex. running, galloping, skipping, etc.) quickly to the other line without dropping their object. When they reach the line, they return to the starting point in the same way or another way (ex, walking on heels or in strides). Do not put too much emphasis on competition, but rather on the fun way to quickly transport an object in a humorous way. Guaranteed fun!
Conclusion
Unfortunately, the safety and overprotection of children limits this type of game because of the outdoor surface (sand, stones, or asphalt) and potential collisions. Ideally, turf is safer, but sometimes you can take some risks depending on the age of children. Motor learning sometimes happens with minor inju-ries. Without outlawing play structures, I recommend you vary your outdoor activities by simply intro-ducing basic educational materials. Your creativity will do the rest, I’m sure!

 

Joël Beaulieu, Ph. D. (c), Motor consultant, A+ Action-www.aplusaction.com