Motor skills? What are they? Why are they important?
Firstly, we want to talk about motor skills, what are they? And why are they important to our child’s development? Motor skills are generally divided into two categories called fine and gross motor skills. I am sure most of you would be aware or maybe have heard of fine and gross motor skills but for those who haven’t or for those who want to learn more, we want to dig a little deeper and focus on the importance they have on our child’s development. Each motor skill is important to our child’s growth and should not be ignored. Gross motor skills are the development of the greater, stronger muscles in your child’s body. Gross motor skills are important to enable a child to preform everyday functions such as walking, running and climbing. Fine motor skills have more to do with smaller movements and dexterity through coordination of smaller muscles in the body such as hands, fingers and thumbs. From infants everything our child does involves motor skills. As a parent it is important to learn what motor skills are, which milestones our child should reach by a certain age, and how can we help and support our child develop their motor skills.
Did you know climbing plays a key role in early childhood motor skills development?
Yes, what a great way to encourage your little one’s motor skills development. Learning to climb is an essential for every child. Climbing is something that all children enjoy and getting them involved in climbing as a regular activity provides a huge range of physical and mental benefits. Climbing at a young age helps spatial and directional awareness, and boosts physical skills such as balance, hand and foot coordination, and agility. Through climbing your child begins to develop their fine motor skills including dexterity, grip and grasp. Climbing allows your child to build on their physical strength and gross motor skills leading to a healthier and active lifestyle.
How can we support our child’s motor skills development?
Allowing space to explore- exploring gives your child a chance to work on important motor skills. Like climbing frames, they can persist until they get it right. Doing so not only adds skills, but it also boosts their sense of confidence and competence. In other words, they begin to think: “I can do it”. It might not seem like such a big deal, but climbing frames are challenging and require logical thinking. In fact, kids have so much fun that they are blissfully unaware of just how hard their brains are working- not to mention their arms and legs!
When it comes to developing fine motor skills like grip and grasp, our Indoor Gym Series play equipment are an ideal addition to your playroom and an important part of your child’s development. Furthermore, our play equipment helps aid to your child’s physical strength, as climbing improves a child’s gross motor skills, developing their sense of balance, core strength and coordination. Any form of physical activity can improve a child’s overall health, including their wellbeing. Our quality grade play equipment will ensure to use up your toddler’s excess energy and will not only keep them entertained but also look aesthetically pleasing in your home.
Keep scrolling down to check out our featured collection and don't forget to keep your little ones exploring!
- Melissa from Monti Play Kids xx
