Lesson 6 – Pathways, Continued

Isn’t it fun to play with balls?! Children and balls just go hand in hand. This week, take some time to explore all the paths your family can create during ball play. Does the ball move straight? Curvy? Zig-Zag? You might also enjoy creating pathways with a ball. Your little one may enjoy feeling a ball roll up and down her body while your older child will enjoy moving with the ball and maybe even on the ball! Add balls to your family’s favorite Moovin’ & Groovin’ song, moving the balls in different ways and along different pathways to the musical beat. Alternately, replicate the Travelin’ Round activity we will do in class this week with your Home CD or a capella (singing without accompaniment).

Playing with a ball not only provides your children with a means for social interactions with peers and adults, but also enhances the development of arm and hand muscles, eye-hand coordination, and cause-and-effect relationships. Ball play also strengthens future recreational development including bowling, baseball, basketball, football and soccer. * *Cripe, Juliann, Kristine Slentz, and Diane Bricker. AEPS Curriculum for Birth to Three Years. Diane Bricker, Ed. Volume 2. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Co., 1993, p. 172.