Learning & Development: Two-year-olds: part 6 - In the fast lane

In July 2011, the Government published guidelines stating that children under five need at least three hours physical activity a day in order to be healthy. I often wonder if two-year-olds have an inside track of these guides because two-year-olds are known for being restless and very active.

The need to move and develop physically seems, therefore, to be an essential development process. This is very much reflected in the way that two-year-olds play, from the way that they enjoy moving things from one place to another to dropping, throwing and climbing. So what type of physical skills might we expect to see? And just as importantly, how can we provide for these?

A good starting point is to recognise that there are many different types of movements and skills this age group will need to master. Straight away, this has an implication in terms of equipment and play opportunities. I stress play opportunities, because there is no need for formal PE sessions, although adults will need to make sure that children are accessing a range of skills.

STAMINA

We also need to recognise that two-year-olds have limited stamina, which results in a stop-start approach to movement. As most parents know, one minute they want to run ahead and the next moment they want to return to a pushchair or be carried.

Sustained physical activity requires a certain level of lung and heart capacity, which develops over childhood. So, again, formal activity for this age group may not be appropriate - when and for how long a child needs to rest between bursts of activity will be quite individual.

RUNNING

A skill that children have usually mastered at two is the ability to move fast. When running, most two-year-olds also have some spatial awareness so they are less likely to run into stationary objects, although accidents involving running into each other are quite common.

One change that will take place during this year of growth is the positioning of the feet. Young two-year-olds tend to run using their whole foot, but during this year children may start to be able to run on the balls of their feet. They may also be able to run on tiptoes, especially if adults model this. Look out for running games involving stop and start and see if the children you work with enjoy being chased.

BALANCING

Skills involving balancing are important for children so we need to think about equipment and resources that will help with this. See-saws are good here, as are swings. When putting up a swing, the trick is to make sure that it is positioned away from the 'flow of traffic'. Logs and low walls are also good for children, but expect that young two-year-olds will need to hold on to an adult's hand in order to practise and gain confidence.

Children also benefit from walking and running on different surfaces, including grass, tarmac and gravel. If you are planning to redevelop your outdoor area, do think about the different textures that are on offer and also whether you can create some ramps and mounds.

CLIMBING

One of the skills that children enjoy and usually master between the ages of two and three is climbing. Many children's first experiences of climbing may involve low pieces of furniture, such as sofas, as well as stairs. Climbing requires balance but also great co-ordination. This is why many children begin by going up and down stairs by placing one and then the other foot on each step rather than tackling them with alternate feet. It is also why children often like to use a hand rail or hold the hand of an adult.

Interestingly, going up is easier than going down and so while many two-and-a-half-year-olds can go upstairs using alternate feet, they may continue to put two feet to a step to come down.

Climbing is linked closely to children's confidence levels, the support that they are given and also experience. Ideally, steps should be a feature of the environment so that children can master them, and it is worth considering whether handrails are at children's height so as to help them.

FEET OFF THE FLOOR

As well as stairs, children enjoy being off the ground and climbing on to things. This provides children with opportunities to develop their spatial awareness but also helps them gain confidence. While many settings have resources for this outdoors, do think about what is available indoors. Bringing in a car tyre or a few logs can really give children an enjoyable experience and also help them master another skill: jumping.

Learning to jump is another skill that is linked to children's confidence and the support of adults. The typical pattern is that two-year-olds will attempt jumping if the distance is very low and they will lead with one foot so that it is a cross between a jump and a step. Jumping with two feet on to two feet from a low step is usually mastered at three. It is useful to recognise this to avoid putting children in situations where they may refuse to jump and so lose their confidence because the step is too high.

CATCHING

When it comes to catching, two-year-olds have a lot to learn. Catching requires children to look at the ball in the thrower's hands, to get their arms in position and to be able to react quickly. This is why few young two-year-olds can catch a ball unless it is virtually dropped into their waiting arms. As with other skills, though, experience and realistic adult expectations and support are the key.

Children who are regularly encouraged to catch but fail to do so can lose interest and confidence. It can be worth starting with roll-a-ball games, so that children learn to track a slow ball and pick it up. From this, you can move on to other catching activities that involve something gently moving towards the child, such as bubbles and balloons, before trying out bouncing a soft ball gently while encouraging the child to be standing ready.

Any catching activities have to be fun, with adults or older children not showing any disappointment or frustration when a two-year-old misses. It will take many children until they are three before they are able to catch a large ball thrown slowly into their waiting arms.

THROWING

Throwing is something that children find easier, although as with many physical skills there can be a wide range in the speed with which children master it. Most young two-year-olds are able, though, to throw by flexing their elbow and throwing overhand, and some will be clearly aiming. Over time, there will be increasing force.

Throwing underarm seems to present more challenges. It is usual for two-and-a-half-year-olds to be quite stiff as they do this, with the resulting throw often lacking power. Encouragement and activities that provide opportunities for throwing and aiming are important. It is worth noting what resources children enjoy throwing and building on these.

In my experience, children are more likely to engage in throwing when the objects have a 'feel-good' factor - that is, they are tactile and have sufficient weight. Light plastic or foam balls are often a disappointment in this respect because they lack substance. You might also think about what children have to aim at and I find that children are more likely to enjoy throwing things into water than just on to grass.

KICKING

Another skill involving co-ordination is kicking. Most two-year-olds can kick a ball if they are standing in front of it, but many will be making the movement by swinging the whole leg forward rather than bending the knee. This makes for quite a lopsided movement and the ball is not likely to travel that far. By three, with experience, more children will be able to kick it with some force, although few children will be able to manage a moving ball until they are at least four so fanatical footballing parents might have a while to wait.

HOT WHEELS

A play opportunity that children enjoy is being able to propel themselves on wheels. While toddlers enjoy sit-and-ride toys, young two-year-olds start to move on to trikes that can be steered but have no pedals. During this year, children will often want to attempt trikes with pedals, but it will take time for them to co-ordinate both steering and pedalling and there may be many false starts.

If your setting has traditionally taken in older two-year-olds, do think about whether you have the resources to cater for children whose skills are still very much in development. As well as resources that children can ride on, two-year-olds also enjoy pushing and pulling things on wheels. Pushchairs, suitcases and storage boxes on wheels are all popular so need to be available.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

While I have looked at these skills one by one, it is worth being aware that quite often two-year-olds combine these skills in their play. They may, for example, kick a ball but then pick it up and run with it or they may climb to the top of a mound and start throwing things down. This is when imagination, creativity and play come together to support children's co-ordination and physical activity and why play cannot be divorced from physical activity.

BUCKING THE TREND?

Finally, while children do vary in the acquisition of their physical skills, especially in relation to catching things, it is worth being aware of children's overall movements and spatial awareness. This is important because difficulties in spatial awareness and co-ordination may be caused by an underlying issue such as dyspraxia or even possibly because a child is not seeing well.

Shortness of breath, fatigue and skin colour should also be noted as there are some medical conditions such as asthma that may literally slow the child down. As with any concerns that we have, parents are always the first port of call because consent is needed before any other professionals can be contacted.

SKILLS FOR PRACTICE

• Look at your routine and consider how much time is available for physical activity and the acquisition of physical skills such as throwing and catching.

• Plan play opportunities that encourage large motor movements.

• Think about opportunities for climbing activities indoors and outdoors.

• Recognise that catching may be a difficult skill to master and that children need a patient adult partner.

• Evaluate your outdoor provision and consider whether it is providing sufficient opportunities for young two-year-olds.

• Work with parents to help them understand the importance of physical activity and large motor development.

OBSERVATION MATTERS

• Are there any children who walk with an awkward gait?

• Do any children often walk into things?

• How confident are individual children when tackling stairs/jumping?

• What types of physical activity do individual children prefer?

• Are there any children who are noticeably less active than their peers?

• Are there any play opportunities that require specific physical skills that individual children are not accessing?

Photographs at Weavers Fields Community Nursery, Tower Hamlets by Justin Thomas.