From a very early age, children enjoy play that involves movement. This can mean that the child himself is moving or that he is involved with something else that moves. Movement can help develop a child attention and can be combined with language games, which help develop the child’s understanding and use of language. As well as this ‘movement games’ will encourage a child’s physical development. He will learn to run, hop, balance and use his eyes and hands to hold things carefully and to develop the control needed for later reading and writing skills.
- Long mobiles above your child’s bed or play area to encourage him to focus his attention for a short while. Spend time showing your child the pictures hanging on the mobile and/or make them move by blowing or tapping them gently. When your child’s attention begins to wander tap the mobile again.
- Play pee-bo with a teddy or another soft toy. Hide the toy from sight and then let it jump up saying peep-bo at the same time.
- Walk a teddy or doll along in front of your child and talk to your child at the same time.
- Roll a ball to your child and let it gently bump into his toes and fingers.Encourage him to roll or kick it back.
- Eg ‘ Ready steady go’
- ‘Here it comes’
- 'Catch it’ Kick it’ etc
- Lift your child up in the air and say ’weee’ or ‘up we go’ or ‘bump’ as you go down.
- Play ‘Row, row, row the boat’ where you sit facing each other on the floor, hold hands and rock back and forth in time to the rhyme.
- ‘Ring a ring of roses’ is another rhyme to play.
- Encourage your child to mime the actions of different animals by pretending to be an animal yourself and getting your child to copy eg crocodile – open and shut hands together for the mouth of the crocodile, turn your hand into a slippery snake or a fish or pretend it is a frog and make it jump. Make sound to go with the animal actions and tell your child what