Body awareness is a cornerstone of self-care.

Nurturing this awareness in our children is crucial for their overall growth and development. According to an article from Brightwheel, an online tool for Early Childhood Education Programs, body awareness is described as "an understanding of the various parts of the human body, what they can do, and how they relate to other body parts.” It's about grasping how our bodies interact with the space and objects around us.

While we build on children’s natural ability to develop on their own, we can help establish a strong foundation towards healthy bodies to carry through the rest of their lives.

Play & Learn At Home
Here are some things you can do with your children to promote body awareness:

🎵 Sing songs at home like, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, The Hokey Pokey, where they can move and dance while naming parts of their body

 🫧 Blow bubbles so they can move their bodies around while they chase, catch, clap, and pop bubbles.  Encourage them to avoid furniture and other children as they do this.  This is combination of tasks helps develop their proprioception muscles.

 🤸 Practice movement and mobility by playing Simon Says.

🪞 Move while looking in a mirror. Children can gather so much information about how they move if they can watch themselves!

🛝 Go to the playground, beach or moderate trails and encourage them to explore, climb and move as independently as possible while still being safe.  

• Looking for more inspiration at home? We love these resources:

  Body Awareness
  
  
  Active Play
  
  
  Body Awareness for Toddlers and Preschoolers