Physical Development

Physical develop in the early years can be separated into fine motor skills and gross motor skills. While both these skills involve movement, they do have differences:

• Fine motor skills involve movement of the smaller muscle groups in your child’s hands, fingers, and wrists.
• Gross motor skills involve movement of the larger muscle groups, like the arms and legs. It’s these larger muscle groups that allow babies to sit up, turn over, crawl, and walk.

Both types of motor skills enable children to become more independent. Fine motor skills are especially crucial, not only for the first steps in writing but because strengthening the smaller muscles in the hands allows children to perform self-care tasks without assistance. This includes:

• brushing their teeth
• eating
• writing
• getting dressed

Knowledge and Skills Organiser: Hands Feet Equipment

By the end of EYFS’ a Masterful Mover will: • Know what basic object control movements are. • Know how to use their hands, feet and equipment to control objects

By the end of EYFS, a Skilful Solver will: • Know what it means to set goals and challenges to try to achieve. • Know how to choose tasks or equipment which could add challenge to an activity.

By the end of EYFS, a Confident Connector will: • Know what sharing, taking turns, and cooperating with others in physical activities are. • Know how to encourage their friends, share equipment, and take turns during activities.

Learning Theme Key Vocabulary 

carry dribble move hit kick swat roll push power

Sports Day Friday 3rd July 

Practicing for sports day helps children develop key skills, build confidence, and prepare for the actual event. It's a chance for them to improve gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and overall physical fitness. Practice also fosters teamwork, sportsmanship, and social skills, creating a positive and inclusive environment.

Skill Development:

Sports day practice provides opportunities to refine skills like running, hopping, jumping, throwing, and catching, all of which contribute to a child's overall physical development.

Confidence Building:

Repeated practice allows children to become more comfortable with the activities, leading to increased confidence in their abilities.

Social Skills:

Working in teams during practice encourages cooperation, communication, and the ability to support others, all valuable social skills.

Positive Experiences:

Practice sessions create a fun and engaging environment where children can experience the joy of physical activity and build positive associations with sports.

Preparing for the Event:

Practice helps children familiarize themselves with the rules of the games and the overall structure of the sports day, reducing anxiety and ensuring a more enjoyable experience on the big day.