Our goal here at Filsbäck Preschool is for every child to feel: I want to! I dare! I can! says Ingela Joelsson, teacher at Filsbäck preschool. The preschool has been a pilot preschool in Make a Move and during an educational café, organized by Lidköping municipality, educators from preschools in the municipality were invited to learn more about how to work to increase movement among children.
Common ground to build on
At the start of the work with Make a Move, Filsbäck's preschool started to increase knowledge about physical literacy and had the opportunity to attend lectures on the subject. On their own initiative, all educators also read the book Risky Play and Teaching. To create a common basis and direction, an action plan was developed to know where they were, where they were going and how to do it. We have had great help from Linda, our contact person from Make a Move. She has inspired us, shown us possibilities and challenged us in our way of thinking," says Ingela.
A change in the attitude of educators
One of the most important parts of the work was that we talked together in the team about our approach to movement, to create the best conditions for the children's development. Together we discussed different situations, such as jumping on the sofa, climbing fences, running indoors. Some things could be ok for the big kids but not the little ones etc. Many times we came to the conclusion that we can start allowing more and some cases we continued to keep the limits. In general we now give more confidence to the children and let them challenge themselves more in play. They are allowed to develop their motor skills and gain self-confidence when they succeed in something new. The goal is for the children to dare to challenge themselves further in life, even after they have left our preschool," says Ingela.
One of the lessons learned at Filsbäck preschool is that all educators do not need to do exactly the same, but that the most important thing is to reflect on why you say no, to weigh real danger against risk in play to allow children to challenge themselves and have the opportunity to develop. It's also about making it as simple as possible and using what you have right now. It does not require expensive materials, but it is about thinking in a new way, based on the children's ability to develop motor skills and other skills such as decision-making, problem solving and increased self-confidence.
The evening's participants had the opportunity to look around the premises and the courtyard to see how Filsbäck preschool has created conditions for movement indoors and outdoors. Among other things, they saw the movement room where the children have great opportunities to create their own movement games. The children have many good ideas for their own movement games and are involved in deciding what to play. The movement room is great, but we are looking at how we can create movement everywhere, not just here," saysJohanna Hagberg, educator at Filsbäck preschool.
Involvement of guardians
An important part of the work has also been to involve the guardians, they were informed about why they started to allow more in the preschool and the benefits of this. In addition, the guardians' role in creating more movement for the children was discussed and they were asked to reflect on their role as a role model for the children. Could they move more with their children and could they take the bike instead of the car to the preschool?
The evening's participants came away with many new insights and concrete examples to take back to their work:
"I will be more permissive and let the children challenge themselves more"
"You can do a lot with what you have"
"I take with me the view that you can create movement everywhere"
"I have come away with many new thoughts and ideas tonight. Above all, I will remind myself to weigh danger against risk and let the children challenge themselves more. We must start using the obstacle course, which is based on the basic motor movements and the movement jar, in our preschool"
"This work goes hand in hand with strengthening the children's resilience, which we work on at the preschool"
Several concrete examples from Filsbäck preschool:
- An outdoor obstacle course based on basic motor movements. Using the trees in the yard, tires and ropes, and the addition of cones, sticks and ladders, the children get an obstacle course where they practice the movements. Watch the obstacle course in the video clip below!
- Indoors, the teachers sometimes set up an obstacle course through the kindergarten, with different obstacles.
- When the children are queuing for the toilet, they have to stand on their hands against the wall. There are measurements on the wall so that the children can challenge themselves to try to reach higher than last time.
- The movement jar contains movement challenges based on the basic motor movements, the children can draw a patch and try the movement.
- Balloons and scarves are often used as a simple and fun way to practice throwing and catching, among other things.
- On Fridays they have Friday physics where the children can dance and perform various movements to music.
- The walking rope is used when young children go on outings. The rope hangs from the stroller and encourages children to walk and hold the rope instead of sitting in the stroller.
