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Physical Development and Health

As infants and toddlers, children master the basics of getting around and handling materials. The preschool years then opened doors to refining those basic skills and expanding gross and fine motor capabilities. Learning in physical development and health, thus, is a concrete experience for preschoolers they learn how to bend and twist, cut paper, pour juice, tie their shoes, run and hop, string beads, and try different healthy foods, throw and catch, use a crayon, and brush their teeth.

5 additional materials to further children's learning and exploration: Adventure Course, Parachutes, Playground Balls, Kaplan Alfresco Modular Gym and Classroom Cruiser

KDI's List:

16. Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles. 

17. Fine-motor skills: Children demonstrate dexterity and hand-eye coordination in using their small muscles.

18. Body awareness: Children know about their bodies and how to navigate them in space.

19. Personal care: Children carry out personal care routines on their own.

20. Healthy behavior: Children engage in healthy practices. 

1

Planning Form

Name of Activity

Dinosaur Yoga

 

Originating Idea

After reading the book "Chalk" by Bill Thomson for Read Aloud our class decided they wanted to become Dinosaurs.

 

Curriculum Area

Highlight 1:

Approaches to learning

Social and emotional development

Physical development and health

Language, literacy, and communication

Mathematics

Creative arts

Science and technology

Social studies

 

KDIs

16. Gross-motor skills: Children demonstrate strength, flexibility, balance, and timing in using their large muscles.

 

Materials

  • Promethean Board or any other computer set up with access to YouTube Yogapalooza with Bari Koral dinosaur yoga! march, stretch, breathe and roar like a dinosaur! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_qr15LQ6kI

  • Enough space for children to spread out and not bump into one another but still see the video

  • Optional – individual yoga mats for each child

 

Appropriate Age group

GSRP – ages 3 to 5

 

Beginning of Activity

Gather the children and introduce the day’s theme. "Today, we are going to be dinosaurs! We will stretch, march, and roar like big, strong dinosaurs."

 

Middle of Activity

Let everyone find a place on the rug or within eyesight of the screen and then help students get their own space so they won’t accidently hit or kick a friend.

 

Early:

Children may do a single nonlocomotory movement (swing, turn, shake or twist).

 

Middle:

Children may do two nonlocomotory movements in sequence (bend and straiten, push and pull).

​

Later:

Children may repeat three or more locomotor movements in sequence (pat knees, pat shoulders, pat head, and repeat).

 

End of Activity

Let them share their favorite part of the session (roaring, stretching, flying, etc.).

 

Follow-up Ideas (2)

2

Planning Form

Name of Activity

Happy Teeth

 

Originating Idea

A child came up to me and asked me what a toothbrush was and why it was important to use, saying that a peer did not want to sit with them because they smell when they talk and needed one.

 

Curriculum Area

Highlight 1:

Approaches to learning

Social and emotional development

Physical development and health

Language, literacy, and communication

Mathematics

Creative arts

Science and technology

Social studies

 

KDIs

19. Personal care: Children carry out personal care routines on their own.

 

Materials

  • 20 Toothbrushes (age-appropriate, soft bristles)

  • 2 Tubes of Toothpaste (non-toxic, suitable for children)

  • 20 disposable cups

  • 2 Help-Yourself Pitchers by Lakeshore or something similar filled with water

  • Model mouth or large printed picture of teeth

  • Book “Brush Your Teeth, Please!” by Leslie McGuire

  • Promethean Board set up with YouTube to play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_oAbUNCX6E
    Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Jodi's Tooth-Brushing Song, PBS KIDS

 

Appropriate Age group

GSRP– ages 3 to 5

 

Beginning of Activity

Read “Brush Your Teeth, Please” by Leslie McGuire a story about characters who learn how to brush their teeth. Then discuss the story and ask questions about what the character did to take care of their teeth.

 

Middle of Activity

Use a model mouth to demonstrate how to brush teeth properly. Show how to hold the toothbrush and the correct amount of toothpaste to use.

Explain the brushing technique: circular motions on the front, back, and chewing surfaces of teeth.

Play Jodi's Tooth-Brushing Song as the children attempt to brush their own teeth.

​

Early:

Children may require assistance in all or most personal care skills and show little to no interest in doing personal care on their own.

 

Middle:

Children may perform some personal care skills on their own and or ask for help when needed, they will watch and imitate other children’s personal care skills.

 

Later:

Children may perform most personal care skills on their own and work patiently to master new personal care skills independently, and assist other children with personal care skills.

 

End of Activity

Review what they learned: Why we brush, how we brush, and when we should brush (twice a day). As well as encouraging each child to share when they brush their teeth at home.

 

Follow-up Ideas (2)

  • Hand Washing soap and pepper experiment

  • Bread and Spreading Germs experiment

3

Planning Form

Name of Activity

Heathy foods vs Sweet treats

 

Originating Idea

The majority of my children are from lower socioeconomic areas and do not tend to have healthier foods at home. Therefore, I want to teach children ways to identify the difference between healthy foods and sweet treats and understand why healthy foods are important for our bodies.

 

Curriculum Area

Highlight 1:

Approaches to learning

Social and emotional development

Physical development and health

Language, literacy, and communication

Mathematics

Creative arts

Science and technology

Social studies

 

KDIs

20. Healthy behavior: Children engage in healthy practices.

 

Materials

  • Book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle

  • Large sheet of white butcher paper

  • 1 marker for the teacher to write down the categories: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, Dairy, and Sweets/Treats.

  • Weekly Flyers from local grocery stores that students would be familiar with such as but not limited to: Aldi’s, Meijers, Kroger’s, Gordon Food Service and Walmart.

  • Scissors

  • Glue

 

Appropriate Age group

GSRP – ages 3 to 5

 

Beginning of Activity

After reading the book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” ask follow-up questions like: "What foods helped the caterpillar grow?" and "What kinds of foods did he eat when he was feeling full?"

 

Middle of Activity

After providing children with a mixture of different local grocery store flyers, scissors, and glue. Children will cut out foods that they choose and then sort the pictures into the categories: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, Dairy, and Sweets/Treats. As they sort, guide them with questions about why each food belongs in its category.

 

Early:

Children may be unaware of the nutritional values of food or unaware of healthy behaviors in general.

 

Middle:

Children may know that food is important to help them grow up to be strong and healthy and carry out healthy behaviors or do some steps in them.

 

Later:

Children may know that some foods are healthier than others and carry out all the steps in healthy behaviors.

 

End of Activity

Gather the children back to share what they choose and what they learned. Reinforce the importance of choosing healthy foods each day (that are good for your body) and how they can enjoy sweet treats (to make your brain happy) in moderation.

 

Follow-up Ideas (2)

  • Dinosaur Yoga

  • Happy Teeth

"All children can learn and succeed, but not on the same day or in the same way."  

William G. Spady

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