WHAT A PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT NURSERY AND PRE SCHOOL EXERCISE FOR YOUR CHILD

Part of a healthy lifestyle is nutrition and diet, but an equally important part of the entire process is exercise. A Glasgow University study in 2006 found that from a study of 545 children, that children needed a full hour of daily exercise and a healthy diet to have a positive effect on their Body Mass Index.

It is therefore important that as well as catering for your child’s nutritional needs, that your chosen playgroup, pre school or nursery offers your child the opportunity to exercise as often as possible throughout the day.

It is worth remembering that the term ‘exercise’ is also subjective. Parents may assume, wrongly in many cases, that this means some kind of structured physical education activity, with the children performing gymnastic routines, star jumps and such like. However in pre school terms any activity which raises a child’s heart rate for a sustained period can count as exercise, whether that is simply chasing a friend around the playground, playing circle games, dancing or acting out nursery rhymes.

So what kind of facilities should a nursery provide for your child to ensure they get enough exercise during the day?

-          Outside play area – Many nurseries have their own outdoor play area. Some have their own permanent outdoor toys, such as climbing frames, swings etc. Other nurseries may just have a small area which allows children to use their imagination and exercise outdoors using equipment that is stored away. Children love playing outside and the provision of toys to facilitate their learning and enjoyment will often mean a child gets plenty of exercise outside without them even realising it. 

-          “Sports Hall” type rooms – Sometimes inclement weather can force children inside, but the opportunities for exercise should not be lost if the Nursery or playgroup has access to a larger room similar to a sports hall or church hall. Almost all activities that are undertaken outside can be moved indoors in the case of inclement weather.

Assuming your nursery has the facilities to offer the opportunity for a child to exercise, it is then worth asking a nursery staff member how they build exercise into the daily routine at the nursery. Good questions to ask would be;

-          How often do the children get chance to exercise through playing outdoors/indoors each day?

-          Does the nursery / playgroup offer the children a chance to participate in any form of organised group exercise activity such as the “Stretch – n – Grow” programme?

-          Does the nursery encourage the children to dance? Play team games? Gymnastic activities?

-          Does the nursery explain to the children the benefits of exercise? Do they educate the children about the effects they can see on their bodies when they exercise and what they mean?

-          Does the nursery offer tailored activities that can enhance a child’s cardiovascular well being, enhance their strength, improve their motor skills and co-ordination and increase their spatial awareness?

-          Does the playgroup or pre school ensure that children of both sexes are actively encouraged to participate in all activities?

-          Do the staff ensure that children do not feel left out or isolated if they do not wish to participate in the exercise? Do they encourage the children to join in with the group?

In addition to the facilities and activities provided by the nursery, one of the most important factors in encouraging children to take part in activities is to ensure that the nursery is well resourced in terms of equipment that children will be enthusiastic about playing with and involving themselves with when it is available. Some excellent resources that a nursery may have in order to involve children in exercise of all kinds include:

-          Outdoor toys (such as pedal toys, tricycles, hoops, balls, pushchairs, prams and these toys should be in good working order as well as tested regularly to ensure they are safe for the children to play with)

-          Outdoor equipment (not just fixed outdoor equipment such as climbing frames, but equipment such as playhouses or tents which can be constructed outdoors that allow children to use their imaginations whilst they exercise)

-          Indoor equipment (Almost any form of toy or piece of equipment can be integrated into an exercise activity. Parachute games are hugely popular with young children for example, while even a simple game of catch with a ball, or learning a simple dance routine can improve motor skills and coordination as well as giving the child a strong cardiovascular workout)

However the most important thing to remember about any nursery and their approach to exercise is that regardless of how well equipped and resourced the establishment is, in the end it is the attitude of the staff and their enthusiasm for the activities they undertake with the children that will lead to the children gaining the benefit from regular daily exercise. If the staff are positive about exercise, have it as a central tenet to the planning for the nursery on a daily basis and are keen to afford the children the opportunities to exercise throughout the day, then your child will thrive in such an environment.