Motor Planning

Basic moverment. Jazz it up with fantasy.

Objectives

Children ages 2 ½-4 can imitate body movements GM IX
All children participating can crawl forward, backward, and sideways, can crawl with control over speed and change of direction GM II
and they are able to participate in an imitative role play Cog. IV A

Materials

Rope

Procedures

1. Have children take off their shoes and get down on all fours. Ask them to crawl forward SLOWLY. "We're elephants. We walk so slowly." (If a child is having difficulty with balance, have him lie on stomach and move like a snake or alligator.) Have them move FAST. "Now we're foxes. We move very fast...Now we're crabs moving sideways."

2. Lay a rope on the floor or draw a curved line. Have children crawl along it with rope between right and left sides. If a rope is used, someone can jiggle it so it moves like a snake. Kids try to avoid touching it as they crawl over it.

3. Have children kneel on ground. Tell them to move forward by sliding knee forward and swinging arm forward. Tell them to move faster. What is happening to their arms? Have them move without swinging their arms. Do your arms help in walking on your knees?"

4. Have children crawl WITH the teacher, following his example of using parallel movement, i.e. using same arm and leg. This requires motor planning by the children.