Make movements with arms and legs which gradually become more controlled.
Use movement and sensory exploration to link up with their immediate environment.
Turns head to the side when placed on tummy.
Turns head or eyes towards diffuse light or interesting objects.
Closes eyes to bright light.
Can move eyes to look at different parts of objects and pictures.
When lying on back or propped up, moves eyes to follow face or object moving slowly from side to side, close to face.
Can lift head when lying on tummy and move it from side to side.
When lying on tummy, lifts head up in the middle and uses forearms to support.
Holds head in the middle (not to one side or the other) when lying on back.
Able to control head when supported in an upright position: head does not flop forwards or backwards.
Is able to hold head steady for several seconds when being moved from lying to sitting.
Moves head to look around when lying on back or supported in sitting.
Holds head and upper body up by themselves when supported in sitting.
When lying on tummy can lift head and chest and support self with straight arms and flat hands.
Raises head to look at feet when lying on back.
Presses down feet or straightens body when held standing on a hard surface.
Moves arms and legs, arms more than legs and chuckles when played with.
Arm and leg movements become smoother and more continuous, no longer so sudden and jerky.
Makes crawling movements with arms and legs when lying on tummy.
Kicks legs vigorously, one leg then the other.
When lying on back, lifts legs into vertical position and grasps feet.
Reaches and plays with toes when lying on back or sitting up with support.
Puts arms up to be lifted.
Takes weight through legs and bounces up and down when held in a standing position.
Rolls from side to back.
Rolls over from front to back.
Sits propped up.
Tries to sit up from lying on back when hands are held.
How young babies begin to explore through their bodily movements.
The physical skills that young babies use to make contact with people and objects.
How young babies learn to lift their heads and later, hold their heads steady.
Examples of when young babies try to move their heads to look at the things that interest them.
Times when babies begin to be able to hold their own bodies and heads steady when in a sitting position.
Why babies want to move and how they learn to roll from side to side and then from front to back.
Let babies kick and stretch freely on their tummies and backs.
Encourage babies to explore the space near them by putting interesting things beside them, such as crinkly paper, or light, soft material.
Give babies the experience of lying in different positions, for example, lying on their backs or on their tummies (while you are with them), sitting propped up and lying on their sides. Moving in different positions will make babies aware of the muscles in different parts of their body.
Move babies' arms and legs around when playing to give them an awareness of movement.
Lifting or turning the head is one of the first controlled movements that babies make. Encourage babies to lift their heads while lying on their tummies by:
– talking to them from in front and above with your face close to theirs;
– tickling or kissing them under their chins. Some babies find it easier to lift their heads if their arms are brought forward;
– tickling or gently massaging the muscles on the back of their necks and upper bodies;
– placing an activity mat or textured blanket underneath their chests.
Encourage babies to turn their heads to each side by:
– talking to them from different positions and taking their hands to your face;
– varying the side you carry the babies on and encouraging them to turn towards your face and voice.
Motivate babies to hold their head up while being carried upright at your shoulder by having someone behind talking to them or shaking a rattle to attract their attention.
Gently massage babies to help them become more aware of their bodies.
From two or three weeks of age, you can give babies an experience of movement in space by rocking them to give them a sense of motion in your arms or by carrying them in a sling so they experience your movement.
As head and neck control becomes established, lifting babies through the air helps them develop their sense of position in space.
Give babies the experience of lying on different surfaces, for example, on a soft bed and on a firmer floor.
Have well-planned areas that allow babies maximum space to move, roll, stretch and explore in safety indoors and outdoors.
Provide resources that move or make a noise when touched to stimulate babies to reach out with their arms and legs.
8-20 Months
Make strong and purposeful movements, often moving from the position in which they are placed.
Use their increasing mobility to connect with toys, objects and people.
Show delight in the freedom and changing perspectives that standing or beginning to walk brings.
Sits alone without support with a straight back.
Can lean forward when sitting.
Can move from a sitting position to hands and knees (crawl position).
Crawls, bottom shuffles or rolls continuously to move around.
Pulls self up to standing but cannot lower self down again (falls backward with a bump).
Supports whole weight on legs if holding on to support.
Can rise to sitting position from lying down.
Crawls on hands and knees or shuffles on bottom.
Kneels up against furniture.
Pulls self up to standing against furniture and can lower self back down again.
Walks around furniture lifting one foot and stepping sideways (cruising).
Walks with one or both hands held by adult.
Stands by themselves for a few seconds.
Takes first few steps: feet wide apart, uneven steps, arms raised for balance.
Can stand up alone, without holding on to anything.
Sits down from standing with a bump.
Crawls upstairs.
Comes downstairs backwards on knees (crawling).
Sits and manipulates toys with hands.
When sitting, can pick up a toy without losing balance.
Bends to pick up a toy from the floor when standing up holding onto furniture.
Throws toys or objects deliberately.
Carries large toy, or several toys while walking.
Pulls toy on string along behind while walking.
The way young babies coordinate actions to move around the space on their feet, bottoms, backs, tummies and hands and knees.
How babies like to move.
What babies like to try to reach for and play with, and the skills they develop, such as pulling to stand and walking.
The skills babies build up as they learn to crawl and then pull themselves up to a standing position from sitting. What motivates them to want to move?
How babies use furniture and other objects to support their first steps and what encourages them to become more confident walkers.
Examples of why children begin to carry things with them as they walk.
How babies begin to explore stairs and what motivates them to want to go up or down.
Engage babies in varied physical experiences, such as bouncing, rolling, rocking and splashing, both indoors and outdoors.
Encourage babies to use resources they can grasp, squeeze and throw.
Encourage babies to notice other babies and children coming and going near to them.
Support and encourage babies' drive to stand and walk.
Babies love rough and tumble play, such as bouncing, rocking and swinging. Movement through space helps them establish balance and trunk control.
When babies are lying on their tummies, encourage them to lift their heads and support their trunks on their elbows by talking to them or interesting them with a toy. Use a firm surface to give a good base to push against and support the movement effectively.
Once babies can sit on your lap with minimal support, sit them on one knee while holding them with both hands around the hips and then lower down. Rock them gently from side to side to help them practise keeping their bodies straight. Do the same thing with them sitting along your thigh facing your other leg and rock them gently forwards and backwards. Gradually increase the size of the rock as their trunk control improves.
Encourage babies to kick their legs by placing a sound-making toy at the base of their cot or under their legs.
Many babies enjoy motion in an appropriate swing from the age of about six months.
Put a few toys like sound balls on a mat with the babies. This encourages them to wriggle and move to pat the toys.
To encourage rolling, place babies on their sides on a comfortable surface and encourage them to follow your voice, your face or a toy as it moves in the direction you want them to roll. Show them what you want them to do by gently rolling them so that they learn the pattern of movements required. Make sure they're helped and rewarded with a cuddle or the toy to play with. Repeat this with them lying on their back.
Place babies in a sitting position on a firm surface, propped up with pillows. Show them how to support themselves using their hands and arms as props on the floor in front of them.
Encourage babies to reach out for a toy or biscuit with one hand while sitting propped.
Sit on the floor with a baby between your legs. Rock them gently from side to side (maybe singing a 'seesaw' song) and taking their hands to the floor to the side to show them how to save themselves.
Begin to use action words to relate to body parts and actions. Say "Bend your legs" and "Push your arms". Say these words as you help babies use particular parts of their body, for example, when they're trying to crawl. With regular repetition, children begin to understand.
Encourage children to begin to move around the room, rolling, bottom shuffling or commando crawling.
To help with crawling, put babies into a crawling position so that their arms are straight and legs bent. Hold them round the middle and gently rock them from side to side and front to back to give the experience of the movement required and to develop balance.
Once babies can support their weight on their arms and knees in a crawling position, encourage them to reach out with one hand and then the other. It takes most children several weeks from weight-bearing to mobility. Be aware that some children skip the crawling stage completely!
Try placing children's legs in a crawling position and put your hands against the bottom of their feet. Their reaction will be to push against your hands and this will result in movement.
Provide novelty in the environment that encourages babies to use all of their senses and move indoors and outdoors.
Offer low-level equipment so that babies can pull up to a standing position.
Provide tunnels, slopes and low-level steps to stimulate and challenge toddlers.
Make toys easily accessible for children to reach and fetch.
Plan space to encourage free movement.
16-26 Months
Have a biological drive to use their bodies and develop their physical skills.
Express themselves through action and sound.
Are excited by their own increasing mobility and often set their own challenges.
Walks with shorter steps and legs closer together, no longer needs to hold arms up for balance.
Runs taking care, some difficulty with avoiding obstacles.
Starts to climb.
Walks upstairs holding hand of adult.
Steps backwards downstairs, holding on to each step.
Bumps down a few steps on bottom.
Gets onto child's chair themselves backwards or sideways.
Has a wide variety of different ways to sit to play.
Kneels upright on flat surface without support.
Builds a tower with three blocks.
Scribbles spontaneously and makes dots on paper.
Fits large round shapes into posting box, puzzle or shape sorter.
Runs without bumping into obstacles.
Climbs onto and down from furniture without help.
Squats down to pick up toy from floor.
Walks up and down stairs holding on, putting two feet on each step (with supervision).
Throws small ball overhand.
'Walks into' large ball when trying to kick it.
Sits on small tricycle, moving it with feet pushing on floor.
How young children move with their whole bodies to show their excitement, interest, amusement or annoyance.
The sensory experiences of, for example, rolling, spinning, rocking and physical contact with adults enjoyed by children.
The ways in which young children are developing skills, sometimes creeping, crawling, climbing, walking or throwing.
The circumstances in which children ask for help and want to hold an adult's hand to help them walk or climb up and down stairs.
How independent children want to be as they climb into a child's chair or sit at a table.
How aware children are of obstacles when they walk or run and how they learn to negotiate furniture and other objects safely.
Encourage independence as young children explore particular patterns of movement, sometimes referred to as schemas.
Use music to stimulate exploration with rhythms of movement.
Anticipate young children's exuberance and ensure the space is clear and suitable for their rapid, and sometimes unpredictable, movements.
Hold children upright with a little weight on their legs and gently bounce them on your knee. You'll know when they're ready for this when they start to push down on your legs.
Continue to give children the experience of standing, while you support them. Gradually allow them to take more weight on to their legs. At this stage children often enjoy bouncing while you hold them by the hands.
When children are sitting on the floor, encourage them to lean round or lean over to reach a toy to increase trunk control and balance.
Give experience of playing with toys on a low table to develop leg muscles for standing or scatter toys along a sofa so that children have to reach out to get them once they're standing.
Encourage cruising (side-steps) around furniture by offering a favourite toy from a step or two away. Get other adults to call the child and encourage them to cruise along the sofa and reach them for a cuddle or song.
Encourage walking forward with support by facing a child, holding both their hands (holding their arms straight in front at their shoulder level) and gently pulling them forward with gentle pressure on one side at a time, alternating from side to side. Call the child to you as you do this and reward them when they reach you.
Use a sturdy and safe push-along toy as an alternative form of support.
As balance improves, support children holding just one hand and as confidence grows, gradually release your grip a step or two away from some form of support to encourage the first independent steps.
Encourage children to follow simple one-step directions to move their body by playing games and singing songs such as 'If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands'.
Help children to begin to explore steps and stairs - safety gates discourage unsupervised exploration but it's important to show children how this can be done safely as soon as a child is able to move independently.
Provide young children who have physical disabilities with equipment that is easily accessed and resources that meet their individual needs.
Tell stories that encourage children to think about the way they move.
Provide different arrangements of toys and soft play materials to encourage crawling, tumbling, rolling and climbing.
22-36 Months
Gradually gain control of their whole bodies and are becoming aware of how to negotiate the space and objects around them.
Move spontaneously within available space.
Respond to rhythm, music and story by means of gesture and movement.
Are able to stop.
Manage body to create intended movements.
Combine and repeat a range of movements.
Runs safely on whole foot, stopping and starting with ease and avoiding obstacles.
Squats with steadiness to rest or play with object on the ground, rises to feet without using hands.
Stands on one foot while kicking ball with other foot.
Pushes and pulls large toys, has difficulty steering around obstacles.
Jumps with two feet together from floor.
Can stand on tiptoe when holding onto something.
Can kick and catch a large ball.
Climbs confidently and is beginning to use nursery play climbing equipment.
The new skills children continue to achieve such as jumping, kicking a ball or balancing on one leg.
Chosen ways of moving and the way children experiment with movement and balance, turning upside down, crawling or rolling.
How a child responds physically to stimuli such as seeing an aeroplane flying overhead.
How children respond to different types of music.
The ways children try to copy movements or repeat skills they have achieved.
How children join movements such as running, stopping and jumping, climbing and turning.
The different ways children use their bodies to express themselves imaginatively.
How children begin to show an interest in climbing equipment and how they explore it.
Sitting by the sea - In a pre-school, the practitioners involve the children in a rhyme about the sea using physical actions and parachute play. [transcript]
You can watch the video, via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Be aware that children can be very energetic for short bursts and need periods of rest and relaxation.
Encourage and guide children to persevere at a skill.
Value the ways children choose to move.
Give as much opportunity as possible for children to move freely between indoors and outdoors.
Talk to children about their movements and help them to explore new ways of moving, such as squirming, slithering and twisting along the ground like a snake.
Encourage children to move, using a range of body parts, and to perform given movements at more than one speed, such as quickly, slowly, or on tiptoe.
Encourage body tension activities such as stretching, reaching, curling, twisting and turning.
Be alert to the safety of children, particularly those who might overstretch themselves.
Introduce the vocabulary of spatial relationships, such as 'between', 'through' and 'above'.
Use positional words to describe where a child is, saying "You're on the chair" or "... in the paddling pool" or "... under the table". Link this with getting children to follow simple instructions such as "Put it in the box" and "Sit on the chair".
As children become more confident walkers, some like to pull along a toy such as a toy dog on wheels or a clackety caterpillar as they go, or to push a doll in a buggy.
As children walk around the setting, try putting a toy that they like on the floor near them to see if they'll try to bend or squat to pick it up.
Look out for how children get out of narrow spaces. They can be helped to learn to take a step or two backwards and then turn around.
Encourage children to run alongside you, holding your hand. Start with just a few steps and gradually increase range. Introduce changes in direction and rapid stops.
Encourage children to run a short distance towards you on a safe surface and then reward them by picking them up and spinning them round when they reach you.
Support children as they learn to jump on a soft bouncy surface holding your hands.
Soft play facilities provide many opportunities for safe movement and exploration.
As balance and muscular strength develop, encourage children to walk upstairs, holding your hand, placing both feet on each step before moving on.
Provide a range of large play equipment that can be used in different ways, such as boxes, ladders, 'A' frames and barrels.
Plan time for children to experiment with equipment and to practise their skills.
Undertake risk assessment and provide safe spaces where children can move freely. Create 'zones' for some activities and explain safety to children and parents.
Plan to respect individual progress and preoccupations. Allow time for exploration and for children to practise movements they choose.
Provide real and role-play opportunities for children to create pathways, for example, road layouts, 'taking the pushchair to the home corner' or 'going on a picnic'.
Provide CD and tape players, scarves, streamers and musical instruments so that children can respond spontaneously to music.
Plan activities that involve moving and stopping, such as musical bumps.
30-50 Months
Move freely with pleasure and confidence in a range of ways, such as slithering, shuffling, rolling, crawling, walking, running, jumping, skipping, sliding and hopping.
Use movement to express feelings.
Negotiate space successfully when playing racing and chasing games with other children, adjusting speed or changing direction to avoid obstacles.
Sit up, stand up and balance on various parts of the body.
Demonstrate the control necessary to hold a shape or fixed position.
Operate equipment by means of pushing and pulling movements.
Mount stairs, steps or climbing equipment using alternate feet.
Negotiate an appropriate pathway when walking, running or using a wheelchair or other mobility aids, both indoors and outdoors.
Judge body space in relation to spaces available when fitting into confined spaces or negotiating openings and boundaries.
Show respect for other children's personal space when playing among them.
Persevere in repeating some actions or attempts when developing a new skill.
Collaborate in devising and sharing tasks, including those which involve accepting rules.
Walks upstairs using alternating feet, one foot per step.
Walks downstairs, two feet to each step while carrying a toy.
Jumps down a single step.
Negotiates obstacles when running and pushing toys.
Walks backwards, forwards and sideways.
Walks forward on a straight line.
Rides tricycle using pedals.
Can walk on tiptoe.
Kicks ball forcibly.
Can stand momentarily on one foot when shown.
How children move enthusiastically, using their arms and legs in a spontaneous dance, or shaking their bodies in time to music, when they are sad, happy or excited.
Children's increasing confidence in what they can do and their enjoyment of physical activities.
Some of the strategies children find to avoid banging into one another, and objects, as they negotiate space.
Children's skill development, deciding if it is exploratory and experimental or repetitive, and whether they are ready for a new challenge.
Efforts to try something new and persevere at a skill.
The ideas that children suggest to make things 'fair'.
Children's developing confidence and competence walking up and down stairs.
Playing outdoors - In the outdoor area of a reception class, most of the children are involved in physical play and the practitioner joins in with a group who are pretending they are on boats. [transcript]
You can watch the video, via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Teach skills which will help children to keep themselves safe, for example, responding rapidly to signals including visual signs and notes of music.
Encourage children to move with controlled effort, and use associated vocabulary such as 'strong', 'firm', 'gentle', 'heavy', 'stretch', 'reach', 'tense' and 'floppy'.
Use music to create moods and talk about how people move when they are sad, happy or cross.
Lead imaginative movement sessions based on children's current interests such as space travel, zoo animals or shadows.
Motivate children to be active through games such as follow the leader.
Talk about why children should take care when moving freely, and help them to remember some simple rules to remind them how to move about without endangering themselves or others.
Praise children's efforts when they consider others or collaborate in tasks.
Encourage children to persevere through praise, guidance or instruction when success is not immediate.
Use singing, music and movement games to reinforce understanding of different parts of the body and body positions. Try games such as 'Simon Says... ' and songs such as 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' and 'If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands'.
Begin to introduce the ideas of left and right. Use a sticker or a bangle to mark one hand.
Demonstrate how to move backwards and practise by dancing (try the 'Hokey-cokey'), holding hands and then reducing support.
Encourage children to jump off low steps into your arms and later on to the floor.
At this age, children may enjoy learning to walk along low walls or benches and jumping off the end. Give support to begin with but balance will improve with practice.
Play games that involve reaching up high to encourage children to stand on their toes. Challenge children to walk as quietly as possible on crinkly paper, leaves or pebbles. This also helps children to walk on tiptoe. You may need to hold hands initially but the children's balance will improve with practice.
Demonstrate how to push the pedals on a tricycle and encourage children to do this independently.
Plan opportunities for children to tackle a range of levels and surfaces including flat and hilly ground, grass, pebbles, asphalt, smooth floors and carpets.
Ensure that equipment is appropriate to the size and weight of children in the group and offers challenges to children at different levels of development.
Plan activities where children can move in different ways and at different speeds.
Provide balancing challenges, such as a straight or curved chalk line for children to follow.
Mark out boundaries for some activities, such as games involving wheeled toys or balls, so that children can more easily regulate their own activities.
Provide sufficient equipment for children to share, so that waiting to take turns does not spoil enjoyment.
Provide construction materials such as crates, blocks or boxes to create personal and shared spaces and dens.
Take photographs to put in a book about 'Me and the things I can do'.
40-60+ Months
Go backwards and sideways as well as forwards.
Experiment with different ways of moving.
Initiate new combinations of movement and gesture in order to express and respond to feelings, ideas and experiences.
Jump off an object and land appropriately.
Show understanding of the need for safety when tackling new challenges.
Avoid dangerous places and equipment.
Construct with large materials such as cartons, fabric and planks.
Move with confidence, imagination and in safety.
Move with control and coordination.
Travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment.
Show awareness of space, of themselves and of others.
The different ways children find of moving across and off and on objects.
How children combine movements to make simple sequences.
The way children recognise the need to take account of space when they plan to do things such as building and demolishing a tower or riding a wheeled toy.
The ways children manage themselves safely.
The ways children negotiate equipment by, for example, balancing, climbing, sliding or slithering.
Children's fine motor control when using a pencil or a brush.
Children's free, spontaneous movement and how they demonstrate control.
Encourage children to use the vocabulary of movement, such as 'gallop' and 'slither'; of instruction, such as 'follow', 'lead' and 'copy'; and of feeling, such as 'excited', 'scared' and 'happy'.
Help children communicate through their bodies by encouraging expressive movement linked to their imaginative ideas.
Talk with children about body parts and bodily activity, teaching the vocabulary of body parts.
Help children to think about how their movements and actions can impact on others.
Pose challenging questions such as "Can you get all the way round the climbing frame without your knees touching it?".
Talk with children about the need to match their actions to the space they are in.
Encourage children to be active and energetic by organising lively games.
Provide opportunities for children to repeat and change their actions so that they can think about, refine and improve them.
Help children to be aware of risks and to consider their own and others' safety.
Take time to review individual needs for space and equipment for a child who may require modifications to either or both.
Show children how to collaborate in throwing, rolling, fetching and receiving games, encouraging children to play with one another once their skills are sufficient.
Plan target throwing, rolling, kicking and catching games.
Plan games where children can use skills in different ways, such as hopping backwards and galloping sideways.
Provide open-ended resources for large-scale building.
Use whole-body action rhymes such as 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'.
Provide time and space to enjoy energetic play daily, either indoors or outdoors, visiting parks if other spaces are limited.
Ensure children know the rules for being safe in different spaces.
Regularly check resources for safety, for example, ensuring that fabric is clean and that planks are free from splinters and rough edges.
Provide a range of equipment at different levels, such as an overhead ladder, a tunnel, a bench and a mat.
Provide large portable equipment that children can move about safely and cooperatively to create their own structures.
Plan imaginative, active experiences, such as 'Going on a bear hunt'. Help them remember the actions of the story (We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury) and think about the different ways of moving and ways of avoiding bumping into each other.
