Young children’s physical development (PD) is critical to their health, well-being, school readiness and, most importantly, their brain development and early learning. Children need to be able to move freely if they are to explore and learn about their world, and the very act of moving helps to ‘wire up’ the child’s brain, building the central nervous system and shaping the architecture of the brain.
CURRENT TRENDS
Obesity
In the UK, obesity in toddlers has risen steadily over the past two decades, with recent statistics revealing that some 13 per cent of two- to four-year-olds are obese and a further 16 per cent overweight (PHE 2016). These figures are even higher for children during the primary school years (HSCIC 2013), raising concerns about children’s health and well-being.
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