Kyleigh and I had the pleasure of co-teaching the science of movement for two weeks this fall. In the second week, we focused on exploring an obstacle course to see how balance, directionality, and coordination affect movement. As the name suggests, an obstacle course uses a series of obstacles that the children must adapt to as they maneuver through the space.
Obstacle courses help children refine their gross motor skills as they jump, roll, and move around obstacles. The children encounter a variety of sensory inputs, including linear, sagittal, proprioceptive, and rotary inputs, as they negotiate the course. By working together, the children are improving their ability to communicate correctly with one another, completing the course with efficiency. Additionally, the children must remember the course direction and series of obstacles, strengthening their recall skills.
After a quick warm-up to wake up our bodies and stimulate our mind-to-body connection, we went over the obstacle course together. The children started working independently but were then challenged to work with partners.
