Kindergarten Awareness Month & evelopmental Probs

First ever 'kindergarten awareness month' to battle developmental problems associated with lack of physical activity by children under five

The Auckland Kindergarten Association's first ever 'kindergarten awareness month' is set to battle developmental problems associated with lack of physical activity by New Zealand children under five.

Commencing today (08 October, the start of the new school term) the project will see up to 9000 Auckland kindergarten children in physical activity programmes. Kindergartens will display parent information posters that promote child activity. Children will undertake activity programmes that include attempts to roly-poly the length of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Launching the programme, Auckland Kindergarten Association General Manager Tanya Harvey said today (Monday 08 October) that the exercise publicity of recent years had tended to ignore children under five. 'Kindergarten awareness month' was, she said, intended as 'a wake up call'.

Physical activity was more important in early childhood than any other time because it had a central role in brain development, Ms Harvey said. And it was concerning that the 'fundamental movement skills' like walking, standing still and manipulating with hands were, on average, developing later than they used to.

Ms Harvey said too many children under five had the poor balance, hand-eye co-ordination and spatial awareness associated with lack of physical activity. And this was in turn associated with poor concentration, reading, handwriting and memory.

'There are children arriving at school who have not had the movement experiences that allow them to balance, sit still and listen to the teacher,' she said.

Ms Harvey said the traditional New Zealand backyard was shrinking rapidly. Children were being confined in smaller spaces with insufficient room to move, and every incentive to 'blob out' in front of the video player or computer. And they were being carried when they should be walking.

Kindergarten awareness month was set to become an annual Auckland event, Ms Harvey said. It would seek to address each year, a different issue of concern to young children and their families.

This year's event was being run in cooperation with SPARC's 'Push Play' programme, with exercise ideas and materials provided by Auckland's four regional sports trusts.

ENDS

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