Developing language through physical development

Physical development in children refers to the ability to move their bodies in a range of ways. This includes moving around the environment and also the way in which they use fine and gross motor skills. Children also learn about looking after themselves and the effect had on their bodies.

Language and communication skills aid children in developing their physical development in everyday life. It is fundamental that children gain the physical skills needed to grow and learn other skills. A child’s physical development can impact heavily on the way in which they interact with others and access the world around them.

Here are 6 great ways language skills can be used to aid physical development

Prepositional language

Using prepositional language allows a child to learn about their bodies and the way in which they can move. Words such as under, over and behind support a child in moving around their environment, experimenting different ways of accessing parts of a room. Obstacle courses can provide children with the opportunity of moving their bodies in a range of ways to overcome obstacles in their path. Children can also use this language to describe where items are, extending their ability to communicate and understand others.

 Den building

Den building is a great way to develop language and communication skills. This activity supports problem solving skills and enables children to use their communication skills to discuss their thoughts and ideas with others. Offer children a selection of open ended resources such as blankets, boxes and chairs to enable them to talk about what they can use to build their den. Once the den is built, this can also further extend the children’s language skills by offering a quiet space where they can have valuable conversations with peers or spend some time alone to gather thoughts and observe the environment from a safe space.

Cooking

Cooking together allows a breadth of language to be used whilst developing physical development skills. This activity enables children to talk about what they are doing and gain further knowledge of materials and tools. Fine and gross motor skills are supported through mixing, rolling and cutting cooking materials. Cooking experiences offer plenty of time for language and communication; talking about what you are doing, seeing, smelling, tasting and what comes next. Open ended questions also enable the child to think about what is happening, supporting their understanding of cause and effect.

Movement games

Movement games enable children to follow instructions and gain understanding skills vital for good communication and language. A fun game to use to develop language and understanding skills is ‘beans.’ An adult will put some music on asking the children to dance whilst the music is playing, the adult will then stop the music and shout out a specific command for the children to follow;

‘Broad bean’ – stretch their arms and legs out wide.

‘String bean’ – stretch up really tall

‘Runner bean’ – run on the spot

‘Jumping bean’ – jump up and down

‘Baked bean’ – lie on the floor with their hands behind their head to imitate sunbathing

‘French bean’ – put their hand out and say “ooh la la”

Scavenger hunt

Creating a scavenger hunt enables the children to use their thinking and communication skills in order to solve clues. The outside environment is a great place to hold the scavenger hunt, you can create clues such as ‘I am green and I grow on trees’, then allow the children to move around the area looking for the object. This activity supports memory skills alongside developing language.

Routine songs

Children love routine and creating songs based around their routine will help develop language and communication skills. Hand washing or setting up for dinner are great opportunities within a child’s routine to develop their language. Talk about what you are doing and why you are doing it such as “I’m using the soap to get rid of germs.” This will support children’s understanding of health and self care; an important factor in physical development. Using songs such as ‘copy me do’ will support children in filling in the blanks and talking about their actions.