What is Child's Play?
Child's Play is a program for pre-school aged children 1-5yrs. It is a structured educational program involving movement gymnastics and skilled based activities. Parents/carers are given the unique opportunity to support and guide their child in developing good physical and social skills while becoming aware of their child's personal movement needs. In each class the same three qualified teachers will guide and develop a solid foundation of movement patterns for your child. Child's Play has been operating successfully in the Eastern Suburbs for the past 25yrs and has developed over 8000 children’s movement skills.
What is Kid's Play?
What are the benefits?
Joy & Leigh Habler developed the program after seeing the problems children were having in infants and primary school with large body movements and the general lack of physical skill. These same children were also experiencing academic and behavioural problems and very low self esteem. Experts agree on the importance of providing rich stimulating motor experiences for young children. Enhancing and expanding the movement vocabulary of a child is just as important as improving word and reading vocabularies. Since movement is the child's first language a variety of experiences is essential for good development. Children are active learners and they need to move to learn and in the process, learn to move with skill precision and enjoyment. If they are deprived of a wide variety of movement experiences they run the risk of perceptual and motor impairment. Movement is essential to good development and cannot be left to chance.
With a decline in movement programs throughout the school system, Leigh began the Kid's Play program in 2002 combining gross motor skills with movement and gymnastics. Balance, hand-eye & foot co-ordination, body awareness & physical fitness are the focus areas of the program. Children are given the opportunity to learn skills needed to play all sports in a fun and non competitive environment. The classes are games based and improve children’s fitness levels and in-creases their self esteem.
Children must be given the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to compete and enjoy their chosen sport. They must learn to move their body with control and efficiency before any sport can be successfully played. If children are exposed to positive, worthwhile movement experiences at this important age, they will more likely remain active and healthy throughout their life.
