Experiencing movement in the six pure directions: up/down, forward/backward, and side to side gives your little one a dynamic understanding of the space around them and strengthens their healthy kinesthesia and spatial awareness!
These six directions are also mirrored in the neural directions used by the brain to process information. Because the brain uses the same neurons for doing as it does for thinking, your little one is building a strong motor scaffolding that supports and increases ease and motivation for learning so their body and mind can flourish.
By integrating smooth transitions between all six directions, babies are becoming aware of the space around them and how to navigate through it. Babies will feel these directions as you dance with them in your arms as well as on their own when playing freely on a firm, flat surface.
Watching you do something helps your waddler to “see it” then “do it”, which is priming the part of their brain that is responsible for planning, controlling, and performing voluntary movement. Simple obstacle courses introduce the idea of a sequential movement sentence. Problem-solving skills and grammar use the same neurons as the obstacle course because they are all about sequencing.
Toddlers need lots of healthy motor challenges to develop a strong brain-body connection and speed up their response time. The brain is built “on-demand” and depends on “just right” challenges to expand their physical and mental problem-solving skills.
It’s all about the “doing” because these are the “doing” years! And remember, whichever direction you are moving, the journey there will surely be just as fun as the destination!
#GrowBabyGrow🌱 #GrowBabyDance #NurturingPathways #MoveToLearn #PlayToGrow #TogetherKy #TeamKentucky #HealthyAtHome