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A Well-Balanced Physical Diet

A Quick Guide to Movement

The Kinetic Scope is an at-a-glance guide to the kinds of movement and play children need each day for good health, well-being, AND LEARNING, all while shaping the natural LEARNER they will eventually become. 

 

The Kinetic Scope includes seven "ingredients" to a well-balanced physical diet. Six physicalities plus Language. As you explore lookwhatikandu.com, you'll see our Kineticons representing the different ingredients so that you'll have a sense of the variety of movement play your child is getting each day. And maybe give you some ideas for new things you'd like to add to your child's "diet."

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So, what are the ingredients in a well-balanced diet of movement?

The Senses

THE SENSES are our way of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching the world. But more, the senses are your child's gateway to DISCOVERY, LEARNING and THINKING. 

What You Can Do

MAKE IT REAL. Explore everything with the senses. Talk about the details of what they're seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling. What's old to you is new to them. Investigate their questions with more sensory play. Discuss what they like and don't like. Play games with objects like sorting and sequencing.

Balance

Children develop balance when they move by learning what it feels like to be “in” or “out” of balance. And that sense of steadiness is what they need to FOCUS and CONCENTRATE. And it gives them the CONFIDENCE they need to venture beyond their "comfort zone."

What You Can Do

MAKE IT DYNAMIC. Give kids lots of room to move their bodies in ways that challenge their orientation. Spinning, rolling, and hanging upside down are all signals the brain is craving what's called "vestibular" activity.

Intuition

Intuition is the body’s built-in GPS SYSTEM, helping kids learn to navigate space and objects while discovering how they RELATE to the world around them. 

What You Can Do

MAKE IT SPATIAL. Kids love crawling in and out of spaces, under and over objects, through and around obstacles. This is their way of learning how they fit into their world.

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Power

Physical strength, stamina, and endurance not only builds the body, it provides early experiences in character-building through  PERSISTENCE, PERSEVERANCE, and RESILIENCE. 

What You Can Do

MAKE IT CHALLENGING. All big movements -- running, jumping, climbing, etc. -- builds strength and stamina naturally while having fun. Pushing themselves to see how far they can go is their way of discovering WHAT THEY'RE MADE OF.

Coordination

In the early years, the body and brain are learning to work together so they can get where they want to go and do what they need to do when they get there. This is a process known as MID-LINE DEVELOPMENT.

What You Can Do

MAKE IT WHOLE-BODY. When children play, they use their bodies in lots of different ways, challenging the brain to manage all that complexity. This readies the brain for more complex and sophisticated THINKING, REASONING, and CREATIVITY.

Control

For little ones, mastering control of their movements sets the stage for SELF-CONTROL, ADAPTABILITY, and NUANCED THINKING. 

What You Can Do

MAKE IT A GAME. When children set their sights on achieving something, such as hitting a target or reaching a new distance, they are learning to adapt and adjust their movements and their thinking to reach their goal. ADAPTABILITY is key to developing an inquisitive mind for learning.

Control

Children absorb language best when they connect what they do with what the words you provide, in other words, WORDS IN CONTEXT to MOVEMENT. 

What You Can Do

BE THE NARRATOR. When children are playing, use your words to describe what they're doing when they're doing it. "Look at you going up the ladder." Kids will associate the words with their movements, making it more meaningful and memorable.

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