As a family child care professional, you work with children across a wide range of ages and this activity will help you explore physical development resources tailored to different age groups. The list below includes a variety of tools, guides, and websites to support motor development from infancy through school age. Review at least one resource from each age group—or focus on those most relevant to your current work. Use what you learn to support children’s growth and motor skills in your setting. After exploring the resources and reflecting on the questions, share your responses with your trainer, coach, or family child care administrator.

Infants & Toddlers (Birth–2 Years)

• Busy Bodies: How the Development of Physical Skills Supports Learning (Zero to Three)
  A video and tip sheet explaining how early physical movement supports learning in cognitive, language, and social–emotional domains, with practical strategies encouraging exploration and development.
• Rocking and Rolling: Learning to Move” (Young Children, Nov 2016, NAEYC)
  An article exploring how infants and toddlers develop movement skills through body babbling, reaching, shifting balance, and play—and offering classroom ideas like obstacle courses and follow-the-leader games.
• Crawling, Walking, Running (Eastern CT Center for Early Childhood Education)
  A downloadable guide showing physical skill progression in early childhood and strategies to support each phase through active play.

Preschoolers (Ages 3–5 Years)

• Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Get Kids Moving
  Provides early childhood professionals with research-based guidance and practical ideas to increase children’s movement throughout the day.
• Making Physical Activity Part of a Child's Life (CDC)
  A resource outlining how to incorporate physical activity into children's daily routines, including recommendations for various age groups and types of activities.

School-Age Children (Ages 5+ Years)

• Kid’s Health (Nemours Children’s Health)
  Information and tips for keeping school-age children physically active and motivated, including content on growth and puberty to support family conversations.
• “Move Your Way” Campaign (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
  A resource helping early childhood professionals integrate physical activity into adult routines, modeling healthy movement for children.
• Playworks
  Founded by former Harvard basketball player Jill Vialet, Playworks offers structured recess strategies and conflict resolution tools to increase children’s physical activity, teamwork, and social-emotional skills during outdoor play.

Mixed Ages

• Active for Life
  Printable activities and lessons that promote physical literacy across a range of early childhood ages.
• NAEYC: Families and Play (excerpt from Big Body Play)
  Practical guidance for engaging families in observing and understanding play with open-ended materials, using photo documentation, discussions at drop-off/pick-up, and questions to spark curiosity and connection.

Reflection Questions

1. Which resource gave you the most helpful ideas for supporting physical development in your setting?
    
2. How can the activities you explored support children’s gross and fine motor skills at different ages?
    
3. How might you use what you learned to enhance your daily routines or communicate with families about physical development?