Babies and young children were born to move, they love being active and we should encourage them to move around freely as often as possible!
Physical activity is essential during the early years of a child’s life as it helps not only with their physical development but also helps them to develop their social and emotional skills. 80% of brain development also takes place by the age of 3 which is fully supported by Physical Activity.
Children who learn to be active when they are younger are more likely to continue taking part in sport and physical activity when they are an adult.
To help support this area Active Cumbria developed Active Start,an early years programme that supports children between the ages of 2 and 7 to develop the key fundamental movement skills and increase their physical activity levels. Working closely with a local and trusted education consultant Active Start has been designed to bring the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum to life through physical activity and active play.
Since the initial launch during the Summer of 2021 Active Cumbria have achieved the following:
- Delivered 16 early years courses, 5 Key Stage 1
- Provided training for 201 early years members of staff and 49 Key Stage 1 teachers
- Supported 120 early years settings and a further 42 schools through Key stage 1
As a result we have enabled Early Years professionals to learn more about the importance of physical development and the impact this has upon children’s reading, writing, and social skills.