Kinder Program
(1 hour program for children without parents)
AIM: To provide an environment that will enable children to reach their full potential in the area of physical development.
Leaping Lizards provides a program specifically designed to enhance the child’s physical development, complimenting the kindergarten’s role in providing an environment to stimulate the child’s cognitive and social/emotional development, so that on entering school their skills in all areas will be age appropriate.
Lesson Format:
1. Free Play - time for the child to enjoy the equipment and/or toys
with his friends or other children in the class and to practice new found
skills. Children often find this an opportunity to challenge themselves,
develop social skills e.g. sharing and composing their own games etc. in a
safely supervised environment.
2. Sticks - Tapping sticks to music to develop eye-hand co-ordination,
visual and auditory processing skills, body and spatial awareness, concepts
and rhythm.
- After the music activity children use the sticks to develop
different age appropriate skills; recognition of colours, numeracy, shapes,
spatial concepts, fine motor and auditory skills. As the term progresses
skills are consolidated and expectations become more challenging.
3. Animal Recognition - children are stimulated with simple animal
knowledge, visual memory skills, finger dexterity, auditory memory, language
skills and develop the skill of deductive questioning.
4. Climb - A different combination of challenges on the ladders, a
slide, mini trampoline, bar, beams and planks. On selected pieces of
equipment children are encouraged to make their own choice whether it be
adapting a skill or inventing a new way to use the equipment. The climbing
enhances muscle tone and strength, balance, spatial and body awareness, gross
motor, concepts, motor planning and climbing safely. All the children take
turns at being the “leader” which aids in developing their
self-confidence.
5. Skill Activity - may include one of the following gross, fine
motor, eye hand/foot co-ordination skills:
- animal walks
- ball handling activities e.g. throwing and catching
- working with a partner e.g. using bats, throwing and catching
- gymnastics
- games
6. School Transition - In the last term of the year for K4 and
selected K3/4 classes, the program will prepare children for the following
concepts through supervised school games, partner activities and group
challenges:
- Climbing skills
- Ball skills
- Motor/spatial planning
- Coping with being jostled i.e. in group activities, tiggy games etc.
- Winning/losing/playing for fun
