Incorporating Physical Movement To Encourage Active Learning for Kids

It doesn't always have to be about sitting and reading books. Just imagine being able to jump, run, and even dance your way to learning! What we mean here is "Active Learning for Kids." This blog shows you that learning by movement combined with physical movement helps you remember and understand better. So get ready to go ahead with movement learning and have fun!

What is Active Learning for Kids?

It means learning while you move around. Not just sit at the desk and work out some worksheets. Instead, in active learning, one gets to use their whole body to explore and learn new things. This makes learning so much fun and helps you remember it even better.

Think of it this way: Have you ever played any game and enjoyed it so much, yet you learned something without knowing it? That's the beauty and magic behind kinesthetic learning. Once you move, there's an attachment of memory with action, which, when you need to recall it again, will simply be easier for your brain.

Why Active Learning for Kids?

Makes Learning Fun: Active Learning for Kids transforms some of the most mundane tasks into delightful activities. Instead of reading about a subject, you get to experience it hands-on. For instance, learning about the solar system, you will be doing a model of the planets and showing their orbits by moving around!

Improves Memory: Whenever you attach physical movement to learning, your brain makes stronger connections. This means you're most likely to remember what you have learned. Therefore, jumping and dancing while learning math facts will help in remembering them.

Keeps You Engaged: Long sitting will make you sleep or bored. Active Learning for Kids keeps you with a guarantee of engagement and maintains focus. You are interested and active while moving around in your learning process.

Keeps You Physically Healthy: With this learning through movement, your brain benefits, and at the same time, it keeps your body fit too. Regular physical activity improves heart health, muscles, and bones. It is a win-win!

Examples of Active Learning for Kids

1. Moving Math:

Math doesn't have to be about writing numbers only. The body could be used to understand the concepts of math. This can be done by using hopscotch to learn addition and subtraction. Draw a hopscotch with numbers in the boxes, and then hop on the numbers to solve the math problems. It will make math quite physical and fun!

2. History with a Twist:

If you are learning about history, you can act out historical events. For example, if you're studying the American Revolution, you could have a mini-play where you and your friends dress up and act out key moments. This way, you're not just reading about history but also becoming part of it!

3. Science Experiments:

It deals with investigation and experimentation. Instead of just reading about it, you get to do the experiments. Suppose you are learning about the growth of plants; well, that is a more interactive subject whereby you plant the seeds, you water them, and let them grow. In this way, you learn something and observe your doing too.

4. Language Games:

This can make learning a new language more exciting and incorporate physical activities. One could play acting games where one acts out the words or phrases. For example, if you are learning Spanish; you can make this into a game where you act out different verbs such as "run," "jump," or "dance." That way, it helps you remember new words by associating them with the actions.

Learning Through Movement and Physical Education

Learning Through Movement: It means learning with physical activity included. It is the opportunity to dance while learning. In other words, the whole idea of making learning fun is bringing in movement into your lessons; hence, it will be more dynamic. It helps you keep active and keeps you going through the process of learning to make it enjoyable and, thus, more memorable.

For example, if it's about the animal kingdom, one could incorporate a game where you act out the movements of the different animals. If you are learning about frogs, you will hop like a frog. If one learns about birds, well, flapping the arms will work just as well as making a flying motion with the self. This way, you are acting out physically exactly what you are learning; therefore, it will better your comprehension and retain the information in memory more effectively.

Physical Education (PE):

The whole concept of PE is to learn through physical activity. During classes of physical education, it allows an individual to move around and play sports, thereby helping an individual stay fit and healthy. But then, one would not realize that during PE time in school, important skills can be learned.

In PE, one learns teamwork, coordination, and setting of goals. These are skills that help during regular studies. For example, playing a team sport would teach one how to work in a team and problem-solve as a team. These attributes can be useful while working on group projects or studying for tests.

How to Incorporate Active Learning into Kids at Home

Create movement games:

You can even create games that require learning. For instance, you can have some sort of scavenger hunt where you have to locate items about something you are studying. If you were learning about animals, you might hide toy animals somewhere in the house and have clues leading to each discovery that you get some facts about each animal.

Use Technology:

Many apps and games incorporate learning with movement. For example, some apps have physical challenges that help you learn a new fact or practice a skill. These can be fun ways to get moving as you're learning.

Set Up Learning Stations:

Create stations in the house at which to work on different activities about the subject your child is learning. In other words, if he or she is learning about geography, he or she can have a station to complete their map, one to play with an educational geography game, or another to enact a physical activity about countries of the world.

Involve Your Family:

It gets even more enjoyable when one learns through movement with the involvement of family. These could be some family game nights where every member participates in some educational activity. This might be a dance-off where one learns different styles of music or a relay race where, for one to move forward, math problems should be solved.

Benefits of Active Learning for Kids

1. Enhances Creativity:

Active Learning for Kids makes you think out of the box. While you move around and engage in various activities, you think creatively to solve different problems and learn something new.

2. Instills Confidence:

You feel confident when you learn by moving and achieving your goals. You are proud to know that you have solved a mathematical problem while on the trampoline or remembered certain historical facts through play acting.

3. Helps in Concentration:

When you move, it keeps you focused. When feeling fidgety or easily distracted, taking a moving break keeps you refocused, and you get back to learning with rejuvenated energy.

4. Makes Learning Memorable:

When you couple learning with physical activity, the learning becomes very memorable. The brain remembers the movement coupled with the information, and it's much easier to recall the latter afterward.

Conclusion

Active learning for kids incorporates fun and physical learning. Moreover, with the addition of movement within your studies, you will not only make learning more fun, but you will also remember and understand more, too. Whether you jump, dance, or act out the lesson, you physically move your body and stimulate your brain to learn even better.

Therefore, the next time you study, think about how you can put some movement to that. Try out different activities and see how they make learning more fun. Remember, learning through movement and physical education is not only about being active, but an adventure in learning. Get moving, have fun, and see how much you learn!

FAQs :

How does human movement affect learning?

Research shows that movement improves concentration, relieves stress, and increases retention. Any opportunity for students to move during class, from a ten-minute standing break to a kinesthetic learning activity can positively impact student learning.

How important is movement in the classroom?

The research is clear: exercise benefits students, especially neurodiverse students. It aids their learning, sharpens their focus, and mitigates stress and anxiety. As educators, incorporating movement into classroom routines can significantly improve student learning, focus, and overall well-being.

How often should students move?

Scientists have provided a significant amount of evidence that the average learner, regardless of age, needs to briefly move their bodies every 20–30 minutes, and many other students learn the most effectively with movement breaks in 15-minute increments.

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