Supporting Physical Literacy
Infancy: supporting rudimentary motor skill development |
Grasping (3–4 mo) |
Offer toys to support hand-eye coordination |
Roll over (4–6 mo) |
Tummy time to build core strength |
Sitting (6 mo) |
Tummy time to increase strength and coordination |
Crawling (7–10 mo) |
Place toys to help build strength and balance |
Cruising (9 mo) |
Offer a safe environment to explore which increases strength and balance |
Walking (12 mo) |
Create a safe environment to explore which improves balance and coordination |
Toddler or preschool age: support development of fundamental skills |
Encourage fun and socialization, incorporating activities preferred by the child, family walks, and chores (picking up, retrieving items, helping clean) |
Running (by 2 y) |
Play chase, visit parks, and offer a safe environment to practice |
Throwing (2 y) |
Play catch with easy-to-grasp foam or fabric balls |
Catching (2+ y) |
Create a “basket” with arms to catch |
Kicking (2 y) |
Play soccer with light, foam balls |
Swimming (1–4 y) |
Enroll in swimming lessons |
Skating (4 y) |
Elementary school age: improve fundamental skills and develop self-efficacy |
Encourage fun and socialization, incorporating fitness preferences (such as dance, yoga, running, hiking, sports), active transportation (walking, cycling to school and activities), and chores (walking the dog) |
Running |
Build fitness and skills with tag, introduce sports like soccer by age 6 |
Throwing and catching |
Falling and tumbling |
Helps decrease injury by learning to tuck head, knees, and arms |
Hopping and jumping |
Hopscotch and jump rope |
Cycling |
Teach a child to ride a bike |
Striking sports |
Practice at home with a plastic ball and bat, hockey stick, etc; introduce sports programs |
Dribbling sports |
Fine motor skills develop through practice and repetition |
Gymnastics |
One of the best activities for agility, balance, coordination, strength, and flexibility |
Skiing |
Low center of gravity makes it easier; it helps with balance |
Preadolescence and adolescence: honing physical literacy |
Encourage fun and socialization, incorporating fitness preferences (such as dance, yoga, running, hiking, sports), active transportation (walking, cycling to school and activities), and chores (walking the dog) |
Identify gaps in fundamental movement skills development, confidence, or desire to be active and devise a plan to remedy (eg, motivational interviewing, physical therapy, community program) |
Introduce skill development and strategy through coaching and camps |
Introduce more complex sports that incorporate multidirectional movement and attention (eg, sports with equipment and strategy and/or plays) |
Introduce resistance training with supervision and instruction on proper technique |
Avoid sports specialization until mid-to-late teenaged years |
Data are from references 16, 76, 83–85, 89, and 90.