Educating Young Children Volume 2 - Summer 2026 July 1, 2026 | Page 39

Movement and STEAM Planning Chart
STEAM Element
Activity
Adaptations
Family Partnership
Opportunities
Science Create paper plate Frisbees, and ask children how far they travel compared with a real Frisbee. Use visual cues, like tape or chalk lines, to help children make these comparisons.
Allow children to throw Frisbees from the position that works best for them. For example, children with limited mobility might want to sit and throw. Encourage peer engagement through a buddy system: One child can be the“ thrower” while another is the“ distance checker.”
Encourage families to fold paper plates and use them as airplanes. How far do they travel? How do the distances change when children modify the way the plates are folded?
Technology
Take pictures of each child along with familiar items and familiar places. Encourage children to use the pictures to create a storyboard about walking or biking from one place to another, then ask them to act out and film( with support) the stories they made up. Provide specific prompts, such as“ Where will she go?”;“ Let’ s choose two friends to be in our story. Who will we pick?”
Label storyboard components and offer prompts in both English and children’ s home languages.( Invite families to help with translations.) Support children to use their home languages when creating and sharing stories.
Encourage families to go on a nature scavenger hunt using a smart phone or tablet. Send home a list of items for them to search for and photograph. These could include a tree, bush, flower, cloud, bird, bug, pinecone, and spiderweb. As an unplugged option, they can create a collage of these materials.
Engineering
Provide large, lightweight blocks for children to build with. As they pick up and arrange the blocks, they’ ll be exploring engineering concepts like balance and stability. Include an engineering challenge by helping children add bridges and arches to their structures.
Adapt the location and materials based on children’ s abilities and mobility needs. For example, use an adjustable-height table and table-top blocks to support children who use wheel chairs or who fatigue easily during standing play.
Suggest that families create giant blocks out of cardboard boxes. Provide possible conversation prompts, like“ How many blocks will we need to build a fort big enough for three people?”
Arts Encourage children to roll, push, or gently kick a ball dipped in paint across a large sheet of butcher paper. To make the activity a little more challenging, trace a course onto the paper in pencil before inviting children to play. Moving the ball along the line will strengthen their motor skills.
Use textured paper and paint to increase engagement for children with low vision or different sensory needs. These items provide sensory input and tactile feedback that can support children’ s understanding of the paper’ s boundaries, shape, and size.
Encourage families to incorporate movement into their daily routines. Provide simple ideas, like going for a walk before bedtime. Encourage families to collect items during their walks that they could use as art tools during playtime.
Mathematics
Explore sequencing by asking children to create, perform, teach, and imitate movement patterns. Start with simple patterns( clap, jump, clap, jump) before advancing to more complex ones( clap, jump, stomp, clap, jump, stomp).
Children with emerging motor coordination may need to perform single-sided, unilateral movements. Offer suggestions and adaptations based on their abilities. These might include modeling seated movements or introducing movements that use a specific part of the body.
Ask families to create sequencing patterns at home. Offer a list of suggested movement patterns to explore, then encourage them to create their own, in their home languages. Ask them to share their sequences, and try them out in your setting.
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