2 questions I get more than you think.
Why are gross motor skills so important to building essential school skills?
And what exactly are gross motor skills? I'm pretty sure I know but...
Here are all the ways children use gross motor skills are school:
🟢 Accessing the playground: climbing, running, kicking a ball, throwing, jump rope- all the other games kids play at recess.
🟢 Sitting for extended periods at their desk and being able to do other tasks like writing, cutting, and gluing.
🟢 Taking part in PE
🟢 Playing/working on the floor with peers
🟢 Climbing stairs like to get on the bus or access the school building
Gross Motor are the core stabilizing muscles. They are the concrete slab that all the other skills sit upon.
💚 Running, jumping, climbing
💚 Sitting upright at a desk to watch the teacher and look at the board
💚 Catching items like a ball - (or shoe - yeah, that's happened in school before. More than once. Kid just gets mad and takes off their shoe and throws it at the other kid).
💚 Self regulation - When energy is spent on just trying to sit and/ or transition in the hall etc...that means the cup of energy kids take to school each day is depleted quicker than a cup should be depleted.
If ever you're looking for some activities to build gross motor skills you can checkout my store: https://schoolreadyskillsshop.com.
If you grabbed the School Ready Playbook there is an entire section (25 activities) dedicated to gross motor skill development.
Note: Some kids struggle with gross motor skills and the school occupational and physical therapist can help find tools and equipment to help them access all the areas of their school so they can have all the experiences their peers are having too.
Hope this tip or trick from your neighborhood occupational therapist was helpful.
