4 minute read
Healthy movers
Children's charity, the Youth Sport Trust, explains how using physical activity can help early years children to be ready and raring to go to school.
he statistics are shocking
T– study after study shows children around the UK are less active, have declining mental health and rank poorly for early years development.
It is something national children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust is trying to tackle through its Healthy Movers programme, currently being used by families and early years settings across the country to develop physical literacy and school readiness, and boost speech and language.
Through a series of mentoring visits to early years settings, using resources and stay and play sessions for parents, the Youth Sport Trust hopes to support children in areas with high levels of deprivation to develop physical literacy. Physical literacy gives children the foundations and confidence they need for lifelong participation in physical activity and gives them the social and emotional foundations they need for life.
Space hopping, crawling like a crab and pretending to be a crane are some of the ways the Youth Sport Trust is using physical activity to support children aged two to five to have fun and a better start in life.
CASE STUDY: HOW HEALTHY MOVERS HAS SUPPORTED CHILDREN IN WEST SOMERSET
In 2016, West Somerset ranked bottom in the government’s Social Mobility Index. The Index measures the chances that a child from a disadvantaged background will do well at school and get a good job. Lack of exercise is a huge factor in poor physical health and obesity.
It is also linked with poor emotional wellbeing, and if children reach reception age without the social skills or core physical strength to sit straight in a chair or to grip a pencil, they start school at a massive disadvantage.
As a result, Healthy Movers was chosen by the West Somerset Opportunity Area to support 15 early years settings between 2018 and 2020. And the results have been promising:
91% of parents reported that their child liked being more active
88% of parents said their child had better movement skills
98% of children demonstrated improved stability and object control
95% of parents felt that Healthy Movers had given them ideas to help their child to be active
The programme has expanded into Cornwall and now Dorset following its success. The Youth Sport Trust hopes it can continue to reach more communities in the coming years.
STAY AND PLAY
The Youth Sport Trust recognises the importance of parents as role models in supporting children to access the life-changing benefits of sport and physical activity. In Minehead, it has worked with Billy Young’s Nursery to engage families through ‘stay and play’ sessions.
The sessions see parents and families participate in Healthy Movers activities with their children.
Up to 15 parents attended each session, with them reporting that they really enjoyed the sessions, as it gave them insight into Healthy Movers and they loved being active with their children.
During the most recent lockdown, Healthy Movers was delivered weekly via Zoom sessions to families at home. Parents shared photos with the nursery and, notably, three families reported that it helped to keep a structure for their children during lockdown.
FREE RESOURCES
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Youth Sport Trust made some of its Healthy Movers resource cards free to download. The charity also hosted Healthy Movers At Home (https://bit. ly/30KKaSS) sessions twice a week live on YouTube, which can be viewed again online and has created a Healthy Movers Home Pack (https://bit.ly/3B8DxX2), which can be brought through its online shop to help continue to fund its mission.
Chris Wright, head of health and wellbeing at the Youth Sport Trust, says: “Movement in the early years is critical to a child’s development. We have placed a huge amount of resources and research into training and mentoring parents, nursery and pre-school leaders through Healthy Movers to give them confidence and ideas around how to be active with their children and structure play in a way that supports their development.
“Not only are children improving their speech and reading, giving them the skills they need to start school, but parents feel more confident to play with their children. They understand why it’s good to be active, and children are enjoying it which will mean they can develop healthy habits for good future physical and mental health.”
CHRIS'S TOP TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN TO DEVELOP PHYSICAL LITERACY:
1. Have fun – playing together is good for happiness and our brains
2. Make it part of your daily routine
– active travel and playing while learning works 3. Use everyday items – games can be played while tidying up or putting out the washing 4. Play together – your children will benefit emotionally from a good role model 5. Let them lead – your children making games up for you to play builds creativity
For more information on the Youth Sport Trust, visit: youthsporttrust.org
