Curriculum

Movement

Children’s early self-concept has a lot to do with how they feel about their bodies — just think about how often kids on a playground yell “Watch me!” And kinesthetic activity goes a long way to fulfilling our daily requirement for joy — physical play feels good, and mastering a physical challenge feels wonderful.

Unlike many teachers, who think of themselves as “recess monitors” when it comes to children’s physical play, we see ourselves as facilitators and advocates for children’s kinesthetic activity, both indoors and out. We hope to see kids engaged in a wide range of physical activity — spinning, climbing, balancing, leaping, tumbling, pedaling, running, sliding, throwing, hopping, playing sports, dancing, and finally, an often neglected activity in schools- rough and tumble play — like chase and wrestling.

We hope to see kids stretch their abilities and take reasonable risks as they invent their own physical challenges, whether it’s taking their first tentative trip across the monkey bars; blazing a new “off deck” trail for their bikes; or using loose parts to build an obstacle course.