Gaby
The bodies of children aged 3 to 4 years exhibit certain physiological characteristics. Primarily, their limited motor abilities stem from the fact that a significant portion of their muscle strength is used to maintain the balance of their unstable bodies. Their skeletal, muscular, and ligament systems are still developing. At this age, children show considerable physical activity but lack coordination; their movements are dominated by large muscle groups, while fine motor skills, such as those involving hand movements, are underdeveloped. This leads to increased fatigue when maintaining the same position for extended periods or performing repetitive movements, necessitating frequent changes in body posture.
By ages 5 to 6, children’s bodies are stronger, and their musculature is more proportionately developed. With greater stability, they can more easily engage in basic balance exercises, throwing, jumping, and running with elements of catching and dodging. Their endurance improves, but they still need to frequently change starting positions and vary their movements. The activities of 5- to 6-year-olds become increasingly purposeful.
Considering the physiological traits of 3- to 4-year-olds, it is advisable to conduct activities with them in the form of “movement stories,” where a series of sequential movements is presented in a vivid, imaginative manner, depicting familiar images. You might tell a child about the adventures of a puppy, working in a garden, or gathering mushrooms in the woods, encouraging them to express these stories through movement. As the story unfolds, the child mimics a cat or a sparrow, saying, “meow! meow!” or “chirp! chirp!”—thus emotionally engaging with the narrative. These activities, filled with various imitative movements, foster the child’s creative imagination, captivating them and making the exercises intense yet not overly tiring.
All tasks and explanations from adults should be clear and concise, delivered in a cheerful, lively voice, and always illustrated with demonstrations of the movements. It’s important not to tire children with lengthy explanations of exercises. Their attention spans are still unstable, making it difficult for them to focus on any single action, let alone its explanation. Therefore, adults should aim to show more and explain less, constantly coming up with new “movement” tasks or stories.
To ensure that a child can understand what they need to do at the first word, it is recommended to give exercises interesting and memorable names, such as “woodcutter,” “bird,” “cat,” or “train.” Keep in mind that coordination of movements in preschoolers, especially at ages 3 to 4, is imperfect, so it’s not necessary to expect absolute accuracy in their execution of exercises.
The main principle that parents should follow when engaging in physical activities with young children is to frame everything as a game. A cheerful tone, jokes, laughter, and active participation from adults always engage the child, stimulate their imagination, and evoke positive emotions.
Younger preschoolers quickly tire of repetitive movements. Their attention is extremely unstable; they get distracted easily. By ages 4.5 to 5, children’s movements become more coordinated. They can jump better, leap over small obstacles, and throw and catch a ball.
Movements of six-year-olds are more agile and precise. They develop a sense of lightness and rhythm in running, eliminating unnecessary movements and side-to-side swaying of the body. Six-year-olds can jump high and far on one leg, and their depth perception improves, allowing them to throw objects accurately at targets.
Proper physical education for preschoolers enhances their logical thinking, memory, initiative, and habit of independent actions, while also developing essential hygiene skills needed for their future lives.
Children of this age should not be required to perform standard gymnastic exercises within a strictly limited time. Physical education sessions should be organized as unique imitative movements and games, where the child strives to depict familiar images as directed by the adult. Such games can be conducted at any time of day, but it’s essential to ensure adequate fresh air circulation if the activities are indoors.
Physical exercises should be done in loose clothing, such as a light home dress for girls or a shirt and shorts with a loose waistband for boys.
To keep exercises varied and engaging, it is recommended to use a wide range of equipment and simple props: balls, flags, hoops, benches, ladders, etc. Naturally, all items should be appropriate in size and weight for the child’s age and physical development.
The best times for physical exercises are in the morning (after waking up), during the day (1 to 2 hours after breakfast), or right after a nap. If parents can only find time for activities in the evening, they should do so no later than 1 to 2 hours before bedtime.
Children aged 5 to 6 should be encouraged to engage in daily morning gymnastics. Initially, the child can walk around the room, followed by five to six imitative movements: one for the arms and shoulders, like stretching, and two to three for the torso involving bends and turns. Then, squats, jumps, or running should be included, ending with slow, calm walking. All these movements should be alternated. After sitting for a long time on one task, such as drawing, sculpting, or cutting, children need to perform several vigorous movements: running, jumping, or doing a few imitative exercises.
Special attention should be given to improving natural movements in children of this age, such as walking, running, jumping, throwing and catching, carrying objects, and climbing, significantly complicating the techniques compared to those for 3-year-olds.
All movements for children aged 3 to 4 should be imitative, and when selecting them, it’s important to ensure that all muscle groups are engaged. Exercises for the arms might include: “Clap your hands,” “Beat the drum,” “Grow big,” “Pick an apple,” “Fly like a butterfly,” etc.; exercises for the torso: “Swaying trees,” “Reach for your toes,” “Winky-winky,” “The cat arches its back”; exercises for the legs: “Stork,” “Sparrow,” “Airplane,” etc. It’s also beneficial to incorporate exercises with a rubber ball, gymnastic stick, and flags.
Exercises for children aged 5 to 6 are more complex: “Shake the apple tree,” “Saw the wood,” “Fly like a bird,” “Boxing,” “Mower,” “Woodcutter,” “Speed skater,” “Skier,” “Frog,” etc. These children can also be given balance exercises with a small bag on their heads and more.
During exercise, children should frequently change their body positions—standing, sitting, lying on their stomachs, squatting, etc. Young children are very restless and cannot stay in one position for long; they tire quickly from it.
Given the rapid fatigue of preschoolers, short breaks for rest (50 to 60 seconds) should be taken after the most challenging exercises. You can suggest that children sit or lie down, saying, “The puppy sat down to rest,” “The bear lay down to sleep,” etc.
It is crucial to properly dose the exercises, as younger children tire quickly and may lose interest in the activities. Movements should be repeated from 2 to 3 up to 5 to 6 times.
When working with toddlers, unlike older children, it is not necessary to achieve conscious regulation of breathing and coordination with movements. Breathing for preschoolers should always be spontaneous and free. Attention should only be paid to ensure that the child does not hold their breath. They should develop a natural habit of breathing through their nose.
For the morning gymnastics routine of school-aged children, it is recommended to include, depending on their age, 8 to 10 exercises that engage all muscle groups. Movements of the arms should alternate with those of the legs and torso. Children at this age should perform exercises clearly and energetically. They should be encouraged not to hold their breath and to pay attention to their posture. Each movement can be repeated from 3 to 5 up to 8 to 10 times, depending on its complexity.
