Motor development requires practice and it does not emerge by a simple maturation process. The environment plays a vital role in the development of motor skills and it is vital to provide preschoolers with daily opportunities to engage in physical activities. Walking can be a daily activity in the preschool classroom. Preschoolers can practice walking in a straight line, backward or to the side. Put on different types of music and let children march or walk slowly. Large muscle movements of the arms and legs can be practiced by taking long steps and swinging the arms.
Integrating physical exercise with play-oriented activities, like games or dance exercises, is an effective way to inspire preschoolers to move. Games are more effective than explicit instructions to capture children's imagination and motivate them to move. Choose games where pretend play is incorporated. Let preschoolers race around together, pretending they are flying horses. Use ribbons or scarves and let them wave the ribbon in the air pretending to catch a butterfly or moth. Put ribbons on the floor and ask them to jump over pretend puddles. Balance games are fun and preschoolers can balance on one leg like a flamingo.
Outdoor activities should be used to allow children to run around freely. However, it is important that the intensity is high. Dr Trawick-Smith says it is important that preschool teachers engage in activities with children to ensure there is enough intensity in the activities. Hula hoop and jump rope are fun and engaging cardio training. At the same time, hula hoops give the abdomen a workout and hand-eye-foot coordination is practiced while you engage in jump rope. Exercises using a ball are engaging and often, a ball motivates preschoolers to run and chase after the ball.
Early nutrition education helps children learn about healthy choices and healthy eating. Talk about why exercise is important and that you need to provide the body with healthy food to have the energy to exercise and run. Let them feel their heartbeat when they are resting and compare it to after they have run around. Topics, such as bone strength and brain function, can be linked to food choices. Classify the food they are eating into groups that benefit the brain or bones. Play games where preschoolers guess which food you are thinking about, for example, "I am thinking of a fruit that is yellow and round."