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Physical & Motor Development
Gross Motor Development
WiseTip: PM-GMO-M1626-E01B

Let your toddler explore by jumping into water puddles, piles of leaves or the sand box.

16-26 months
Environment
WHY IT MATTERS

Children’s motor capabilities at various ages improve when the home contains opportunities for positive motor stimulation for them. Optimal home environments comprise of a variety of play materials and adequate physical space.

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  1. Flôres, F. S., Rodrigues, L. P., Copetti, F., Lopes, F., & Cordovil, R. (2019). Affordances for Motor Skill Development in Home, School, and Sport Environments: A Narrative Review. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 126(3), 366–388. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031512519829271

Expose children to various types of outdoor playgrounds (e.g. traditional playgrounds, adventure playgrounds and nature playgrounds) for building resilience from young.

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  1. Emery, M. K. (2017). Risk-taking, pretend play, and resilience in early childhood. Texas Child Care Quarterly, 41(1). Retrieved from https://childcarequarterly.com/pdf/summer17_resilience.pdf

A researcher showed that neighbourhoods with decreased housing density and increased park density were associated with greater levels of physical activity in four-year-old children.

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  1. Roemmich, J. N., Epstein, L. H., Raja, S., Yin, L., Robinson, J., & Winiewicz, D. (2006). Association of access to parks and recreational facilities with the physical activity of young children. Preventive Medicine, 43(6), 437–441.
The time spent outdoors is an essential determining factor of children’s physical activity and independent mobility.
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  1. Schaefer, L., Plotnikoff, R. C., Majumdar, S. R., Mollard, R., Woo, M., Sadman, R., . . . Ball, G. D. (2014). Outdoor time is associated with physical activity, sedentary time, and cardiorespiratory fitness in youth. The Journal of Pediatrics, 165(3), 516–521.

  2. Wen, L. M., Kite, J., Merom, D., & Rissel, C. (2009). Time spent playing outdoors after school and its relationship with independent mobility: A cross-sectional survey of children aged 10–12 years in Sydney, Australia. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 6(1), 15.