promotion of physical activity

From the ages of 3 to 7, children undergo considerable improvement in their movement patterns
and learn their first movement combinations. By the age of about 6, children make enormous progress in their speed of movement, balance, motor control, adaptability and flexibility, anticipation, and ability to combine movements. Each motor learning process thus leads to greater cognitive development and, consequently, overall personality development.
 

 

Children's urge to move must therefore be given sufficient freedom of movement in their environment and everyday life. We want to offer the most favorable conditions for this, for example by scheduling daily free play time in the garden area. Here, the children have many opportunities to try out their physical skills on climbing frames, slides, the horizontal bar, on the play hill or by climbing hedges and small trees. We also offer the children the opportunity to move freely and practice motor skills such as climbing, jumping or hanging on nature excursions.
In our indoor gyms, the educational staff also provide various exercise activities and games. In addition, we offer two additional regular sports sessions for kindergarten children under the guidance of specially trained coaches: KiB and BeMoBall.

It is essential to ensure/provide sufficient space for movement in children's everyday lives. The BeMoBall concept – an abbreviation for "movement, motor skills, and ball games" – addresses precisely this need. The aim is to offer children the opportunity to optimize their motor skills through physical activity and to develop a strong feel for the ball through varied and playful use of different balls. Ball games as well as climbing, gymnastics, and play equipment are used. The focus is on fun and safety. The tasks are individually adapted to the children's abilities. Another focus is on encouragement without overburdening, with fun and play always at the forefront. BeMoBall integrates several developmental building blocks simultaneously to enable the holistic development of the child.
 

 

The needs of the children and our sports educator's passion for team sports form the basis for the planning and preparation of the BeMoBall units. Each unit is designed to be flexible enough to adapt the games to the children's form on the day. Children have different motor and emotional abilities: some are strong in motor skills, others have a better feel for the ball, and still others are more confident. Popular games are used more frequently and gradually developed further. The games are designed so that younger children are not initially confronted with competitive games. This allows them to develop their skills without pressure to perform and avoids frustration. Competitive forms of play are only introduced gradually and in an age-appropriate manner – more towards school age – so that children can also learn how to deal with winning and losing in a gentle way.
 

To ensure optimal and individualized care, the children are divided into different age groups and the games are adapted accordingly. Each BeMoBall session begins and ends with a welcome and closing ritual to provide the children with security and ease the transition back to everyday life. Clear and regularly discussed rules also contribute to safety during the sessions. In a pleasant and supportive atmosphere, the children can experience the games together and benefit from positive feedback and the joy of playing.

The exercise class should not only be seen as training for physical abilities and skills, but as an opportunity to enable the child to develop holistically.

 

At the Heidelberg Municipal Gymnastics Center, KiB (Kids in Motion) offers exercise classes for daycare children. In addition, training courses are held for professionals, and the annual KiB Children's Olympics, which most recently attracted nearly 500 daycare children from Heidelberg, also benefit from this program.

The KiB courses take place at the South Sports Center in Kirchheim. Every two weeks, a fixed group of 16 children from the two kindergarten groups travel there by public transport. Accompanied by our specialists and a KiB trainer, they complete a 90-minute sports session. This consists of a warm-up and joint stretching exercises, followed by an obstacle course and ending with a final ritual in the "shred pit." This is a pit filled with foam shavings and is the highlight for the children. The children need comfortable sports clothing and gym shoes for this, as they move around on a springy soft floor. KiB takes a break during the school holidays.
 

In the two large sports halls, various human movement patterns (rolling, hopping, swinging, stretching, bouncing, sitting, supporting, crawling, hanging, running, pulling, and climbing) are encouraged using different sports equipment. Classic gymnastics equipment such as parallel bars, balance beams, ropes, springboards, and rings are also explored. KiB pursues diverse and holistic goals such as balance and strength, but above all coordination and fitness, body awareness through tension and relaxation, and posture training.