Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Health and Physical Development (HPD)

Subdomain: Motor Development

Goal: Children develop the large muscle control and abilities needed to move through and explore their environment.

Skill Progression: Jumping/ hopping

Age: 21-24 Months

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Observe the child during an action activity, for example imitating animals that jump.

Play an animal song, such as “Animal Actions” or read an animal book, then pretend to be the animals. (Make sure there is a jumping animal in the book.)

The child enthusiastically demonstrates her ability to jump up and down and forward.

Early childhood educators and parents need to get in touch with their inner child to be able to reach the child on the child’s level. One way to encourage movement is to recreate the actions in books. This is often easier for adults than just acting like an animal without the stimulus of a book or a song.