GM.B.121 RUNS, STOPS, TURNS CORNERS, AVOIDS OBSTACLES

Once your child is running, she has to be able to control the run – to turn corners, avoid obstacles and, above all, to stop.

As we said in GM.B.94 (runs forward on whole foot, stiffly), these skills are learned gradually, over time, and with plenty of practice.

How to Assess

Materials: Obstacles such as chairs, boxes, pegs in the ground.

Method: Set up an obstacle course that requires your child to turn corners and avoid obstacles.

If possible, involve another child in the activity. Present it as a game, in which the children must run around the course, and stop when you call ‘STOP’. Score plus if your child can run around the course, turning corners without breaking her stride, avoiding obstacles and stopping within a few paces at your direction.

How to Teach

Once your child is running, practice will see her become more adventurous. You are sure to see her take some tumbles as she runs with the bigger children, but this is all part of learning and she should not be discouraged from trying.

Start to teach direction change in running by holding her hand, running to one end of the garden, turning around at almost the same speed and then running back again. Initially your turn will be a wide circle, but gradually make it sharper. Use a chair or a stick to mark the turning point. Then start to put some obstacles down the middle of the run and, still holding her hand, run in and out of them with her. When you feel she no longer needs to hold your hand, chase her or let her chase you.

Help her to control her stopping by having someone call out ‘STOP’ while you are still running with her, and then, when she is running alone, playing ‘stop and go’ games. She will enjoy this more if she is given turns at shouting the directions!