Marine Gardens Childcare Centre
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Through our research we wanted to be able to connect the activities that occur at our childcare center to the various experiments that were being held. We always had a firm belief that we had a cutting edge infant room, but with further research, we came to learn a better way utilize the resources that we already had available to us.
We found that infants "should be physically active several times daily - particularly through interactive floor-based play" (Tremblay et al. 2012). Floor based play activities such as "tummy time, reaching and grasping, pushing and pulling, and crawling" (Tremblay et al. 2012). As found on the Babycenter Medical Advisory Board, such push-pull toys such as a child size grocery cart is a great way to help the child keep their balance while building their strength in their legs. This can be connected to Haywood and Getchell (2014) who discuss motor milestones such as the development of muscular strength and endurance as well as the posture and balance. Keeping this in mind, push-pull toys are a great way for infants to be able to achieve such milestones. Furthermore it has been found that "balance was a precondition required to perform gross motor skills" (Veldman, Okely & Jones, 2015).
As per Extension.org, some great activities for toddlers, which would help with gross motor skill improvement can consist of "running at different speeds, jumping rope, playing hopscotch, tossing and catching balls of different sizes, pitching bean bags, climbing in many different directions, pedaling riding toys, pulling wagons or toys, pushing toy strollers or brooms, and filling and emptying buckets and other containers." A lot of these activities can be connected to a study done be Veldman, et al. (2015) which ran a study on the motor skills of jumping, balance and kicking. With these motor skills being connected to the activities that were listed by extension.org, that we have incorporated into our curriculum, "teaching these skills to toddlers allows them to improve their gross motor skills, and improvements could potentially be larger than those seen in older children" (Veldman, et al. 2015). Exercising and the refinement of motor skills in infants and toddlers can lead to a higher competency in motor skills, and that it is important that at our childcare center we develop "competency as early as possible[...]to improve both current and future health benefits associated with better gross motor skills"(Veldman, et al. 2015).
As per Veldman, et al. (2015) it has been that children can develop proficiency in motor skills such as kicking, jumping and balance at a young age if they are given the appropriate opportunity for practice, encouragement and feedback. And finding the opportunity to practice can be tough, but with the the new curriculum offered here at Marine Gardens, allows us to do just that. With toddlers expected to "accumulate at least 180 min. of physical activity at any intensity spread throughout the day, including a variety of activities in different environment, activities that develop movement skills" (Tremblay, et al. 2012). And we offer just that! Also by following this guideline, "the systematic review found that higher levels of physical activity were associated with better measures of adiposity, cognitive and motor skill development, psychosocial health and aspects of cardio-metabolic health during early years" (Tremblay, et al. 2015)
However at Marine Gardens we also find it important that to "achieve these recommendations through a combination of structured and unstructured movement opportunities" (Tremblay, et al. 2012). We also find that these activities must take place in different environments, whether they be indoor or outdoor. We also find it important to change parameters of a lesson time to time, whether we do the lesson in a different environment or use different object, such as in kicking, where children found the lesson a lot more enjoyable with the use of balloons and balls and it increased the time the children would spend on their own, exploring or exploring (Veldman, et al. 2015).
A lot of the talk has been around gross motor skills but here at Marine Gardens we also pride ourselves on the development of fine motor skills and cognitive development. With further research on extension.org, we have an arts and crafts table where we enjoy taking part in play dough or clay, we also enjoy the use of beads, macaroni, rigatoni or wheel-shaped cereal to string on yarn or shoelaces, colouring and painting is one of the children's favourite activities (please be sure to pack old clothing if you are afraid of children making a mess).
For cognitive development, we have a focus on activities such as puzzles and reading. For infants, as per Canadian Paediatric Society website, for infants we use board books that have large and colourful pictures and books slowly progressing to where the books use simple and familiar words. At our facility we are really big on smiling and singing as well, in the research done by Veldman, et al, (2015), it was recommended by educators to the researchers with incorporating singing to help motivate children and maintain their attention.
We are extremely excited to implement all the information we have gathered from our research and do share our thanks to the Douglas College students that gave us a hand in our research.
If any parents have any questions please feel free to contact us at your earliest convenience!!