Physical development (PD) is one of the Prime areas of learning in the EYFS. Without a solid foundation of gross and fine motor control and experience of moving in different ways, children will struggle with the other areas of learning. A strong foundation in PD lays the grounding for all future learning.
Being active is vital not only for children’s health and physical development. It is also critical for their well-being, social and language development, reading and writing skills and their sense of themselves in relation to the world around them. Essentially, PD is the key that unlocks all learning (Macintyre and McVitty 2004). However, with children living more sedentary lives, we, as practitioners, need to ensure we give them ample opportunities to move.
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