Introduce
There are potential barriers to many areas of child development. Physical development is no different, as there are a number of factors that can limit a child’s ability to master physical literacy and live a healthy active life.
It is crucial that children have an abundance of opportunity to be physically active. There are a number of facilitating factors that encourage this:
Develop
Where children live – the condition, location and stability of their accommodation – has a wide ranging impact on their early health and physical development. A warm, dry and secure home is associated with better health. Children living in low quality housing are more likely to experience respiratory problems such as coughing and asthmatic wheezing. For many children this means losing sleep, restricted activity and missing school. This has implications for both their immediate and future life choices.
The location of housing and the design of estates can play an important part in providing for easy access to facilities that support healthy living…Research shows that higher housing density and poor access to green space increases the risk of obesity in children. People living closer to green spaces are more physically active and children who are able to play in green space have been found to gain significantly less weight than children who did not have access to such amenities. Outdoor play, exercise and access to green space have all been found to support good mental health and development in children.
Shelter
Watch the following video introducing the work of Playing Out, a group that is helping to tackle barriers by closing streets to cars and reclaiming the space on children’s doorsteps.
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: These questions encourage reflection on both the challenges and opportunities in supporting physical development.
– What are the most common barriers that you observe limiting children’s opportunities for physical development, and how do you address them in your setting?
– How might you engage with other professionals and agencies (e.g., occupational therapists or charities) to address specific barriers to physical development for individual children?