Got Movement?

Got Movement?
Posted on 01/13/2020
This is the image for the news article titled Got Movement? Research shows young students do best with physical and mental breaks to offset the time they're expected to be still and quiet in the classroom. Play, including recess and physical education, are vital to brain and social development. 

That's why leaders at Salt River Elementary School have incorporated various activity-based programming over the years, including the Playworks program. More recently, when students walked back into the school from winter break on January 7, they were greeted by brand new movement paths! 

Also known as sensory paths, these guided indoor trails encourage those walking down the school's hallways to jazz up their strut. Brightly colored stickers line various sections of walls and floors, instructing passerby to leap frog, tiptoe, twirl, hop, stretch, crouch, walk heel-to-toe, push, press, and more!

Watch SRES student enjoy the movement paths:


There are a ton of physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits to movement paths, according to Kristina Hawkes, an occupational therapist at SRES. Hawkes advocated alongside others for installing the movement paths and uses them daily with her students. 

The movement paths give students a chance to spend a few minutes of their school day walking, jumping, bouncing, and pushing themselves through their distractions, Hawkes explained. She added that movement paths can also help students develop motor skills, including balance, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness.

A student starts one of the new movement paths at SRES while a classmate and educator look on.

To see the benefits of movement paths at home, Hawkes suggested incorporating "heavy work" activities, which are designed to help calm and improve attention. Hawkes said many of these activities can be done through natural activities your child is already doing. Click here to learn more about "heavy work" activities you can do at home.
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