Heart Smart - Wiggle, Dance and Move to a Healthier You!

It’s 8:30 in the morning at North Star Montessori Preschool and Kindergarten and children are arriving to school. They hang their coats, kiss their parents goodbye and head on into to our morning welcoming circle. Quiet music is playing as they gather walking on the line. Soon all of our friends are here and it is time to get moving. We start off singing and following simple directions in our songs to clap, tap, stomp, and dance. Sometimes our movements are slow, fast or in between as we follow the tempo of the music. We reach high, get down low and practice a variety of movements such as hopping, skipping, jumping, skating, tiptoeing, stretching and balancing. Using songs like Animal Action by Kids in Motion, we slither like snakes, fly like birds, gallop like horses, hop like frogs, and move like lions. Scarves, beanbags, rhythm sticks and instruments become an extension of our movements helping to develop gross and fine motor coordination while building strong bones and muscles as well as bringing our hearts joy! The 30 minute circle zooms by and children are dismissed to begin to choose different activities in the classroom.

We know regular physical activity helps children develop in ​a range of ways. Not only does it help their physical health, it also helps improve brain function and emotional wellbeing. When children see how fun it is to be able to dance, jump, walk, run, stretch and play they are more likely to want to continue enjoying being active throughout their life. Seeing and appreciating what their body can do, rather than how it looks, is a great way for a child to build a positive body image.

Leaving circle time all of this exercise has changed the children’s brain chemistry.  While it may not seem obvious, physical activity plays an important role in developing the brain and supporting essential mental functions. Research shows that regular moderate intensity exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved with learning and memory. Exercise leads to improved motor skills, better thinking and problem-solving, stronger attention skills and improved learning. Not surprisingly, these all combine to benefit school performance. In fact, even the simple act of playing outside with friends can help the brain refocus when it comes time for school work.