Getting kids moving is one of the best ways to support their physical and mental development. And it doesn’t have to take long! A “Movement Minute” is a quick, fun, and simple way to get children moving every day – even with a busy schedule. Whether at home or in the classroom, these short bursts of physical activity can help improve coordination, balance, strength, and focus. According to expert Beth Micke, MS, OTR/L, a Pediatric Occupational Therapy specialist at Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls, “Movement is how children explore their environment and learn about the world,” making it a key part of their growth. In this article, Beth offers insights into how caregivers can incorporate these “Movement Minutes” into everyday life in a way that’s not only fun but also supports your child’s development.

Why Movement Matters for Kids: Developing Coordination and Body Awareness

Movement is essential for early childhood development, especially in developing fine motor skills, visual motor skills, and sensory processing. As Beth explains, “Movement is important for early childhood development. Movement is how children explore their environment and learn about the world. It helps them develop coordination, body awareness, balance, and strength.”

Children use their bodies to learn about space, objects, and how to interact with the world. Beth highlights, “Children develop fine motor skills through the movement of their wrists, hands, and fingers through activities such as tearing paper, squeezing and rolling out play dough, and using scissors to snip paper.” She continues, “Visual motor skills (eye-hand coordination) can be developed through rolling a ball back and forth, playing catch, or tossing bean bags into a bucket.” Movement helps develop the sensory system by allowing a child to practice balance activities and develop body awareness in relation to people and items around them.

Quick and Easy Movement Activities for Kids to Improve Focus & Strength

The best part about a “Movement Minute” is that it doesn’t have to take long. In just one minute, you can make a big impact on your child’s development. Beth recommends the following fun and easy movement activities to try with your little ones:

Beth emphasizes, “These activities can be adapted as needed to fit different ages and ability levels.” For younger children, you can add fun music or actions tied to nursery rhymes to keep them engaged. “For older children, you can complete activities that require more coordination and strength or have children work in teams to complete a task,” she adds.

“All these movement activities also help a child develop body awareness so they can begin to understand where their body is in relation to objects and other people. They learn how they need to move their bodies to go under, over, around items, and how much force and strength is needed to accomplish different activities,” says Beth.

When to Include a “Movement Minute” in Your Day: Easy Movement Breaks for Kids

Incorporating movement breaks into your child’s day is easier than you think. These quick bursts of activity can fit into any busy schedule. Beth suggests, “They can be completed in the classroom before challenging seated work, such as a test or writing, in the mid-afternoon when students are getting tired, or on days when children can’t go outside for recess due to the weather. Teachers may also want to set up stations during recess where children participate in different movement activities at each station.” It may also work well to complete movement activities during natural breaks in the schedule of the day such as when switching to the next lesson or moving to a different classroom.

At home, these breaks can be taken before or after lunch, during outside playtime, or when kids are feeling especially energetic. “These movement breaks may also be helpful if your child appears to have trouble focusing or needs a break to help relieve frustration or stress,” Beth adds.

Making “Movement Minutes” Fun and Engaging for Kids

Children find movement play naturally enjoyable, but there are ways to motivate children who may not want to move or have a short attention span. For instance, “Try including other children in an activity to model movement and provide encouragement and motivation,” advises Beth. Including other children in movement activities may help a child maintain attention to the activity. Adding fun music to these activities or using a sticker chart may also be helpful. To help kids focus and participate for the full minute, Beth advises, “Using a visual timer may also be a good way to let a child know when the activity begins and ends.”

Adapting “Movement Minutes” for Children with Sensory Sensitivities or Motor Delays

If your child has sensory sensitivities or motor delays, it’s important to adapt activities to suit their needs. Beth advises, “If a child has difficulty with sensory processing, choosing a quiet location with minimal noise instead of a large classroom or gym with lots of other children can be beneficial.” Beth shares that for motor delays, activities may need to be adapted as well. “Activities like yoga can be adapted and completed while sitting on a chair or in a wheelchair. You can also assist a child with the movements or decrease the repetitions or intensity of the movement activity,” she adds.

Purposeful Movement for Overall Development: Strengthen Social, Cognitive, and Physical Skills

Movement isn’t just about fun – it's also about supporting your child’s development. As Beth points out, “A movement activity can help support social-emotional development when completed with other children, allowing them to practice social interaction skills.” Activities can be adapted as needed to promote success, which will build self-esteem and confidence. These activities help with physical development by promoting improvement in coordination, balance, strength, and visual motor skills. They also promote cognitive development as a child plans out the steps of the movement activity and learns about his or her body and the environment around them. “If a child isn’t successful initially, they will use cognitive skills to assess the situation and adjust as needed before attempting again,” says Beth.

Incorporating music and rhythm can further enhance the effectiveness of movement. Beth suggests using a metronome and completing activities to the beat, playing lively music to energize a child, or using quiet music to create a calming environment. “Adding music and rhythmic activities like clapping and dancing can help improve visual motor skills as a child uses visual attention to learn a pattern,” highlights Beth.

Start Your Child’s Daily Routine with a “Movement Minute”

By adding a “Movement Minute” each day to your little ones’ routine, you can help your child improve coordination, strength, focus, and even social skills. Plus, you can make it fun by adapting the activities to their age, developmental level, and interests. So, whether at home, in the classroom, or on the go, start incorporating these short bursts of movement into your child’s routine, and watch them thrive!

Disclaimer: If you notice that your child has difficulty completing movement activities, especially as related to fine motor skills, self-cares, and sensory processing, they may benefit from occupational therapy. A pediatric occupational therapist assesses a child’s ability to complete daily activities (play, self-care, sensory processing) and develops a plan of care to help improve function and independence.  

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