Gymnastics is more than a sport. It’s a powerful tool for fostering positive early childhood development. Your child’s early years will shape their future personality, behaviours and physical and mental health. So, it’s important to tailor their experiences towards positive growth.
The six key strategies identified in the SPICES model – Social, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural, Emotional & Spiritual Development – which is used across the national curriculum in Key Stages 1 & 2, encompass the key areas of focus in positive child development.
In this blog, we explore how our gymnastics-based activities encourage positive early childhood development, in a fun, social and educational environment.
Social
Positive social interactions are vital for early childhood development. Laughing, playing and forming relationships build a solid foundation of social skills, boosting confidence and self-esteem. Gymnastics encourages healthy habits and positive interaction through teamwork and respecting boundaries.
Our classes cover a variety of learning styles that encourage social development, including partner exercises, group routines and competitions. Through gymnastics, your child can learn effective ways of communication alongside their peers as well as develop long-lasting friendships.
Physical
Gymnastics builds fundamental skills that support your child’s physical development milestones, including core strength, flexibility and coordination, through movement and energetic activities. From cartwheeling and leaping, to balancing and running, gymnastics can be tailored to children from 4 months old, as well as individual ability, strength and flexibility.
Participating in weekly gymnastics classes instils healthy habits from a young age, improving discipline and focus. Your child will value regular fitness and reap the mental and physical rewards.
Discover our range of classes from Parent & Child to Pre-School and Primary School.
Intellectual
To support children in their intellectual development, gymnastics asks them to problem-solve through applying logic, risk-taking and focusing attention. Our purpose-built gym provides children with a safe, fun space to explore and allow them to flourish.
The element of fun particularly supports positive early childhood development, incorporating different colours and shapes into their environment. Whilst for older children, learning complex routines and hitting personal goals helps to sharpen their minds and improve memory.
Cultural
Our gymnastics community fosters fair, unprejudiced family values and open-minded beliefs through positivity, kindness and compassion. By surrounding your child with these values and beliefs in their early childhood development years, they can cultivate healthy habits and respect for success in later life.
Emotional
Through listening, communicating and structured play, gymnastics nurtures self-awareness and positive self-esteem. It challenges children to face their fears, set realistic goals and cope with setbacks. All of this supports your child’s emotional development and helps to build resilience.
Spiritual
Whilst not the key consideration in gymnastics, there are close links between spiritual practice and the focus required for this sport. Mind-body connection, similar to that of meditation, is essential for balance, coordination and breathing through activity whilst improving mindfulness.
Gymnastics inspires a journey of self-improvement and encourages children to approach the world with opportunist eyes through wholesome and holistic growth.
Your child’s social, physical, intellectual, cultural, emotional and spiritual development work together to shape the person they strive to be in the future. Balance & Beam is here to support you in raising your adorable little one and ensuring the healthiest, happiest and most rewarding start during their critical formative years.