For some pirate fun, learning and kindergarten readiness, today’s play of the day is to move like a pirate. Movement activities are important for children’s healthy development, both bodies and brains.
Moving is one of the strategies that the brain uses for creating pathways that are used for learning. We all have an additional two senses: the sense of the body’s position in space and the sense of movement. Have you ever watched a very young child going round and round in a circle? That child is discovering how the body feels as it moves. Some kids like to pretend that they are falling or tripping over things. Again, they are exploring both movement and the body in space. Hanging upside down on the monkey bars is also a form of sensory play.
How do pirates move? They do things like walk the plank. Planks can be balance beams or often, kids will balance on the edge of a board or on a low fence. Pirates also climb rope ladders and many playgrounds have rope ladders as part of the equipment, or certainly monkey bars. Running is hard for pirates that have a wooden leg. By making one leg stiff, kids can pretend and try running that way. Pirates go up and down and all around as they move about on boats. Waves make boats go up and down like swings, teeter-totters, and riding toys.
A visit to the playground will give kids lots of ways to move, stretch, bend, and explore things their body can do, even if it’s not like pirates. Research is recognizing the importance of physical activity and showing the positive impact that it has on learning. Having some time for moving inside or outside or both, can be a real treasure, for pirates and kids. Can you dig up some time for this pirate activity?