As children return to nursery and school, part of the challenge for practitioners is to assess the impact of lockdown on children's physical skills and support these effectively. Dr Lala Manners explains what to look out for and how to respond
OBSERVATIONS
Here are some questions to consider when assessing children's general physical condition, confidence and movement skills:
Children's general physical condition
- Are children's shoes too small? Children might be in same shoes as three months ago, so too small, which will have a serious effect on their balance, speed, co-ordination and agility.
- Have they lost or gained weight?
- Has their been any regression in their behaviour, such as toilet training, sleep patterns or basic hygiene?
- Did they do anything physically active during lockdown, both inside and outdoors?
- Did their parents do anything physically active?
Levels of confidence in being physically active
- Are children confident to use the whole space offered, or do some stick to the corners and sides?
- How do they navigate around each other? Are they bumping into each other or misinterpreting cues relating to personal space?
- How confident are they to try new ideas and play physically with each other? Is there any gender difference in their interactions?
- Is there an issue for children who may not have spoken English for months?
Movement skills
- Do you notice any difference in children's competence and confidence when walking, climbing, running and jumping? Can they hang by their arms or legs, jump down from a height, balance when walking across a plank and run fast?
- How are they managing to use writing, drawing and painting implements? How much of their time in lockdown was spent using a screen and 'swiping'?
- Can they manage to use a knife and fork with ease? Or have they been eating with other implements, such as chopsticks or their hands, during lockdown – both of which will aid their fine motor skills?
- How are they managing sitting at a table? Are they balanced, steady and calm, or finding it challenging?
WHAT TO DO
Here are some movement ideas that can act as a sort of daily remedial intervention to support children's strength, speed, agility, balance and co-ordination:
- Encourage lots of crawling – forwards, backwards and turning. Get the children to crawl on their hands and feet, with their bottom in the air, then flip over so that their tummy is facing upwards. Try doing these exercises at different speeds or around obstacles. To develop balance, ask the children to extend one leg and one arm off the floor and hold for a few moments.
- Challenge children to walk on their knees, with their hands either out to the side or on their heads – then to try going forwards then backwards. Add a semi blown-up balloon to pat in a circle on the floor around the body. Provide a balloon for either each child or small group. Set some goals if appropriate.
- Get the children to make ‘angels in the snow’, by lying down on their backs, or tummies, and moving their arms and legs together out and in. Try doing it very slowly, and very fast.
- Stick a piece of masking tape horizontally and quite high on a clear wall for children to jump up and touch. Then try from a sitting position, from a lying position, and as fast as possible until the children are a bit puffed.
- Stamp on a cushion with both feet as hard as possible. Next balance on one leg, then the other
- Try ‘swimming’ on dry land. Think of all the different strokes you could do and try each one