Why “Kids in Action” Builds More Than Muscles:

By Leigh Anne, Pediatric Occupational Therapist

As an occupational therapist working with preschoolers, I get to witness daily the magic of movement — not just in how children learn to balance or hold a crayon, but in how they grow in confidence, creativity, and connection.

Over the years, I’ve seen a powerful shift in how we approach motor skills development in young children. Gone are the days of isolated drills and rigid activities. Today, we embrace a holistic, play-based approach — one that integrates movement, learning, emotions, and individuality.

Let me walk you through the latest thinking — and the practices I use every day to support fine and gross motor development in a way that’s engaging, inclusive, and full of joy.

🎲 1. Play-Based Learning: Where Real Growth Happens

Play is not “just fun.” It’s essential.

Through play, children develop physical skills, yes — but also cognitive abilities, emotional awareness, and social confidence. Activities like messy play, crawling through tunnels, building towers, or molding playdough strengthen both gross and fine motor skills in natural, meaningful ways.

I encourage parents and teachers to create time for:

• Unstructured free play — where children can explore at their own pace.

• Hands-on activities like threading, lacing, painting, and climbing.

• Construction play using blocks, magnets, or toys like LEGO.

When children are having fun, they’re not just developing muscles — they’re building minds.

💻 2. Thoughtful Technology Integration

Used wisely, technology can actually support motor development.

We now have interactive movement games and apps that get kids up and moving — dancing, balancing, or following movement patterns on screen. For children with developmental delays or disabilities, adaptive tech tools can help build specific motor skills in a safe, customized way.

It’s not about more screen time — it’s about the right kind of screen time.

🧸 3. Inclusive Environments Matter

Every child is different. As therapists, teachers, and parents, we need to meet them where they are.

• Tailored support: Some children may need more time or different strategies to develop certain skills. That’s okay. Progress is not always linear.

• Accessible spaces: Playgrounds, classrooms, and play areas should be designed for all abilities — with sensory-friendly tools, adaptive equipment, and clear pathways.

• Positive energy: Encouragement, not pressure, builds motor confidence. When a child feels safe and supported, they’re more likely to try, fail, and try again — and that’s how real development happens.

🖐️ 4. Tried-and-True Activities I Love (and Use Often)

For Fine Motor Skills:

• Threading and Lacing: Beads, pasta, buttons — anything that involves stringing and weaving helps refine hand-eye coordination.

• Manipulation Games: Simple games like Pick-Up Sticks, Connect 4, or stacking cups build precision and finger strength.

• Construction Toys: LEGO, K’nex, and magnetic tiles are more than toys — they’re fine motor powerhouses.

• Arts and Crafts: Drawing, coloring, cutting with safety scissors, and painting offer endless opportunities for grip, control, and creativity.

For Gross Motor Skills:

• Playground Time: Climbing structures, swings, monkey bars, and slides build upper body strength, balance, and coordination.

• Sports and Group Games: Even simple ball games, tag, or relay races teach coordination, teamwork, and body awareness.

• Movement Breaks: I love using 5-minute dance parties, jumping jacks, or animal walks to reset focus and energy.

• Obstacle Courses: Indoors or outside, obstacle courses challenge strength, balance, and motor planning — all disguised as fun!

Creating a Supportive Space for Every Child

Whether at home, in therapy, or in a classroom, the key is to make movement part of everyday life. Children thrive when they feel:

• Encouraged to try

• Supported when they struggle

• Celebrated when they succeed

Motor skills aren’t just about handwriting or running fast — they’re deeply connected to how children learn, express themselves, and feel capable.

Final Thoughts from the Therapy Room

When we think about helping preschoolers grow, we must look at the whole child. Physical skills, cognitive growth, and emotional development are all linked. And the best part? It all starts with play.

Let’s build strong, confident, curious little people — one puzzle piece, one climbing frame, one paintbrush at a time.

With movement and heart,Leigh AnneOccupational Therapist & Champion of Little Hands and Feet

Would you like this adapted into a PDF for parents or teachers? Or turned into a workshop handout? Let me know!

Certainly! Here's a comprehensive article written for a general audience (such as parents, educators, or policy advocates), explaining why the Kids in Action motor skills program significantly supports literacy development—with clear connections to the research you provided, while remaining accessible and engaging.

Why “Kids in Action” Builds More Than Muscles:

How Motor Skills Development Lays the Foundation for Literacy Success in Grade R

In South Africa, the early literacy crisis is urgent. The latest PIRLS results show that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language—a staggering statistic with lifelong implications. While there’s no silver bullet, one promising approach is gaining traction: developing motor skills through structured play to support early literacy.

This is where Kids in Action, a motor skills programme grounded in occupational therapy and early childhood development research, proves to be a game changer.

The Link Between Movement and Literacy: Not Just a Coincidence

Children don't learn to read in isolation from the rest of their development. They learn through movement, play, and sensory exploration—long before they sit at a desk with a pencil in hand.

As researchers like Excell and Linington (2011) have shown, motor development is a critical enabler of early learning. Physical movement not only supports healthy muscle growth and coordination but also builds the neurological and cognitive pathways needed for literacy.

In essence: when a child runs, climbs, throws, balances, and plays, they are laying down the building blocks for reading and writing.

What Makes Kids in Action So Effective?

Kids in Action isn’t just “PE class for preschoolers.” It’s a structured, evidence-informed programme that aligns perfectly with the developmental needs of Grade R learners, designed to target both gross and fine motor development while also feeding into critical literacy behaviours.

Here's how:

1. Crossing the Midline and Directionality

Activities like crawling, ball games, and clapping routines help children cross the body’s midline and understand directionality—key concepts for reading left to right and writing in lines.

Why it matters: Children who can’t cross their midline may struggle to track words across a page or hold paper steady while writing.

2. Laterality and Letter Recognition

Through bilateral movement games, learners develop a sense of “left” and “right,” crucial for distinguishing between similar-looking letters like b, d, p, and q.

Why it matters: Strong laterality helps prevent common early writing errors and boosts letter recognition.

3. Perceptual-Motor Development

By catching, throwing, and balancing, children improve spatial awareness and visual tracking—skills that directly support reading fluency and print awareness.

Why it matters: A child’s ability to follow text across a page or locate a word in a sentence depends on their spatial and visual-motor coordination.

4. Posture and Pencil Grip

Kids in Action strengthens core and upper body muscles, improving balance, stability, and control. Fine motor stations (e.g., threading, peg boards, LEGO play) develop hand muscles needed for writing.

Why it matters: Weak posture leads to fatigue and poor pencil control. Strong bodies lead to confident learners.

5. Memory and Sequencing

Many Kids in Action routines involve following multi-step instructions, rhythm sequences, or patterned games.

Why it matters: These activities build working memory, a foundational skill for decoding, spelling, and writing longer sentences.

6. Language-Rich Play

The programme encourages dialogue and description during play. Whether describing how to build with blocks or giving movement instructions, children are exposed to rich vocabulary in context.

Why it matters: Oral language is a direct predictor of later reading comprehension and expressive writing ability.

Play-Based Learning with a Purpose

Play is often misunderstood as frivolous, but research—from Talbot & Thornton (2017) to Son & Meisels (2006)—makes it clear: play is serious learning. It is the natural way young children develop the skills necessary for school success.

Kids in Action taps into this philosophy. It uses age-appropriate, sensory-rich, joyful movement to meet children where they are, giving them the best possible foundation for formal literacy instruction.

A Strong Start in Grade R = Strong Outcomes in Grade 1 and Beyond

Research confirms that the early years—from birth to age 6—are a critical period for learning. During this time, children are exceptionally receptive to environmental input, and developmental delays can be significantly reduced or even prevented with the right interventions (Raskin 2018).

By capitalising on this window, Kids in Action ensures that children don’t just show up to Grade 1 ready to learn—they arrive with the cognitive, physical, and emotional skills required to succeed in literacy and beyond.

In Their Own Words

Here’s what one Grade R teacher said after implementing Kids in Action:

“I used to think reading started with letters. Now I see it starts with movement. My learners are not just writing better—they’re listening better, remembering more, and feeling more confident.”

Moving Beyond Rote Learning

South Africa has no shortage of policies and programmes for literacy. But we must ask: Are we preparing the whole child to succeed?

It’s time to move beyond rote memorisation and embrace literacy programmes that integrate movement, rhythm, sequencing, and sensory experiences—programmes like Kids in Action. They don’t just teach; they transform.

Final Takeaway

Kids in Action is more than just movement—it’s a literacy readiness tool disguised as fun. It equips learners with the physical, perceptual, and cognitive tools they need to make sense of language, master reading and writing, and thrive in the classroom.

Because when we move with purpose, we learn with power.