Our early childhood students have had a wonderful week back on campus exploring their new Panther Park! It has been a joy to watch them move, imagine, laugh and explore their new space. Gross motor development is essential for young children, and our new playground has been intentionally designed to offer developmentally appropriate opportunities for students to balance, hop, jump, climb & run.
“Preschoolers are extremely physical creatures — constantly moving, running and jumping….
The development of basic movement skills that takes place between ages 2 and 7 is the ‘fundamental’ movement phase, according to early childhood research.
Research studies confirm that regular physical activity helps children by….
- Building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles and joints
- Controlling their weight
- Building lean muscle and reducing fat
- Increasing capacity for learning” -Developmentally Appropriate Practice, NAEYC
In addition to intentionally designed opportunities for gross motor development, our Panther Park has also been designed with appropriate risk and challenge by choice. We have included a range of options for students to safely challenge themselves: slopes, swings, climbing nets and structures at a range of heights, and wobbly bridges. “Taking risk is a way to learn how to navigate the world securely, an important life skill that children only learn by doing.” -Kompan, 2017
If you missed our Facebook LIVE from our new Early Childhood Playground with our Elementary School Principals, you can still watch it here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1048311802246383&ref=watch_permalink
NOTE: While the playground was purposefully designed for our youngest students and is supervised exclusively during PK and KG recess times, students in Grades 1-5 are invited to explore the playground with their classroom teacher during scheduled times next week.