{"id":7676,"date":"2013-09-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/the-benefits-of-structured-physical-activity-for-early-childhood-programs\/"},"modified":"2013-09-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-09-05T00:00:00","slug":"the-benefits-of-structured-physical-activity-for-early-childhood-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/togethercounts.com\/es\/the-benefits-of-structured-physical-activity-for-early-childhood-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Structured Physical Activity for Early Childhood Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Structured physical activities are usually led by a qualified adult and include organized sports, guided play, and school PE programs. Structured activities are important throughout a person\u2019s life, but they play an essential role in early childhood\u2014from birth to about five years of age. These are very tender years for a child. What they learn at this early age lays the groundwork for their future cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills. Let\u2019s take a look at how structured physical activity benefits\u00a0<\/em>early childhood programs<\/em><\/a>. Together CountsTM<\/sup> partner, SPARK PE, breaks down the benefits of keeping your child active through structured physical activities.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

1. Structured activities encourage healthy behaviors to dispel childhood obesity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aside from\u00a0 SPARK\u2019s own research\u00a0into the value physical activity plays in the lives of children under the age of 5, many other resources are coming up with similar findings.\u00a0According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over a third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2010. Obesity puts kids at an immediate risk for cardiovascular disease, prediabetes, and bone and joint problems, in addition to long term health concerns.<\/p>\n

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Structured activities go a long way to prevent excess weight and obesity. Studies show that obesity prevention programs in preschool are highly effective, particularly in areas of poverty. Participating in guided, controlled activities for just an hour a day burns calories, builds muscle, and encourages kids to maintain an active life as they grow older.<\/p>\n

2. Structured physical activities develop motor skills, coordination, and movement at a young age.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Infants and toddlers are little balls of energy. They crawl, roll, kneel, creep up stairs, and eventually find themselves upright, taking their first tiny, stumbling steps. It\u2019s no easy feat for an young child, but structured physical activity encourages movement and helps a child learn how his limbs and muscles can move in unison; in other words, the basics of coordination.<\/p>\n

As their physical abilities develop, kids learn to use their hands more. Around the age of two, kids particularly enjoy finger play activities, like \u201cThe Itsy Bitsy Spider,\u201d which assist in developing dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Other finger play exercises, like \u201cHead, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,\u201d allow children to touch and identify different body parts.<\/p>\n

As a Together Counts Partner, SPARK PE\u2019s database of activities and lesson plans are open for you to explore. Examples of how Early Childhood lesson plans help improve these motor skills include:\u00a0Hoop It Up<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Super Stunts<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Have a Ball<\/a>.<\/span> Feel free to review other\u00a0sample lessons plans<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0from the Early Childhood instructional unit.<\/p>\n

3. Structured activity improves mood and self-esteem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You know how great you feel after a run, thanks mainly to the production of endorphins, the good-feeling chemical that floods your body. The same happens to kids, but it\u2019s not something they entirely need to understand. What they do understand is the fun and good times that come from engaging activities.<\/p>\n

Structured activities provide kids with a positive body image\u2014personal and otherwise\u2014which builds self-confidence \u00a0and gives them the emotional and social skills they need to cope with restrictive societal norms that define how a person \u201cshould look\u201d in a healthy, positive manner.<\/p>\n

SPARK<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span> is a research-based organization that provides award-winning, evidence-based programs for <\/em>Physical Education<\/em><\/a> (K-12), <\/em>After School<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Early Childhood<\/em><\/a>, and <\/em>Coordinated School Health<\/em><\/a> and is a member of the Together Counts ProgramTM <\/sup>.\u00a0Since 1989, SPARK has provided curriculum, training, and consultation to over 100,000 teachers and youth leaders worldwide. Visit <\/em>www.sparkpe.org<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span> to download <\/em>sample lesson plans<\/em><\/a>, find <\/em>grant opportunities<\/em><\/a>, and register for free educational webinars and monthly eNewsletters.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more physical activity tips, check out these resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n