ACTIVITY: ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

need to look for?

(c) When the group has discussed this question, they need to make a poster illustrating the physical development of a baby or young child. Each poster focuses only on the specific age group that they have discussed.

(d) Allow 30 minutes for the discussions and the poster making. (e) When the 30 minutes are up, groups take turns to present their

posters to everyone.

(f) Check the information on their posters against the background document you have on this topic. Correct any incorrect

information they may have included during the discussions in a supportive and constructive manner.

(g) Conclude by asking participants the following question (write the question on a flipchart): What should I do if my baby or young child doesn’t reach their milestones? Link the discussion to the issue of identifying early disability (see background document for more information). Once again, check the participants’ answers/ discussion against the background document.

ACTIVITY: ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Purpose of the activity

To give participants the opportunity to share and gain knowledge on activities and games they can play with their babies and young children to support their physical development.

Preparation work

(a) Read the background document.

Explanation of the activity

(a) Explain to the participants that they will be divided into four groups.

(b) Each group will focus on one of the following age groups: • Group 1: 0-6 months

S E S S IO N 4 : P H YS IC A L D E V E LO P • Group 3: 12-24 months • Group 4: 2-5 years

Write these categories on the flipchart.

(c) Each group then discusses various games and activities they can play with their baby or young child to support their physical development at the particular age.

(d) Groups then decide on one of these games or activities to demonstrate to all the participants.

(e) Ask participants to think of games and activities that will support the following aspects of the baby’s or young child’s development: • Large muscle development

• Small muscles development

• Feeding (healthy food supports physical development) Implementation of the activity

(a) Divide participants into four groups of equal numbers and allocate particular age groups to participants.

(b) Give groups 30 minutes to discuss various activities and games they can play with their baby or young child to support their physical development. The groups then need to decide which game or activity they will demonstrate to all the participants. (c) Stress to groups that the game or activity that they choose must

be appropriate for the specific age group they are focusing on. (d) Give each group five minutes to demonstrate their game or

activity to all the participants.

(e) After each game or activity, ask participants to identify how the game will support a baby’s or child’s physical development. Use the information from the background document to highlight aspects such as the large muscles (e.g. kicking a ball) and small muscles (e.g. writing with a pen). Also remind them that healthy food supports physical development.

(f) When all the groups have demonstrated their games or activities, remind participants that playing is very important to the physical development of babies and children.

PRESENTATION

Explain to the participants that you are going to do a short presentation to summarise the work in this session, and that the summary will include important messages to remember regarding the physical development of babies and young children.

Present to the participants the PowerPoint presentation: Physical development of babies and young children.

Make sure to link the presentation with the issues raised in the discussions, feedback and games and activities.

At the end of the presentation, allow time for questions and discussions.

Key messages

• There are milestones in the physical development of babies and young children. These milestones should not be treated as absolute but rather as guidelines.

• Parents/caregivers can stimulate their babies’ and children’s physical development in a variety of ways.

• The awareness and monitoring of milestones can assist parents/ caregivers to identify possible physical disabilities at an early stage.

• Play is important for a baby’s or child’s large and small muscle development.

• Adequate nutrition is important for the physical development of babies and children.

• Take your baby and child to the clinic or doctor regularly to have their growth monitored.

SELF ASSESSMENT

Write the following questions on flipchart paper and ask the participants to write their answers on a piece of paper. You might want to rewrite the questions in participants’ home language so they understand them better. Explain to the participants that this is not a test and that you will not take in the papers on which they have written the answers. Explain to them that they are doing this activity to see for themselves how much they have learnt during the session. (a) All babies and young children develop at the same pace. TRUE or

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(b) Milestones are an indication of the types of things a baby or young child should be able to do at a certain age. TRUE or FALSE (c) These milestones are only guidelines because babies and young

children develop at their own pace. TRUE or FALSE

(d) Parents/caregivers can stimulate their baby’s or child’s physical development in a variety of ways. TRUE or FALSE

(e) Awareness of milestones can assist adults to identify possible physical disabilities at an early stage. TRUE or FALSE

(f) Play is important for the small muscle development of a baby or child. TRUE or FALSE

(g) Healthy food is important for the physical development of a baby or a young child. TRUE or FALSE

(h) You need to regularly take your baby or child to the clinic or a doctor to check his physical development. TRUE or FALSE

Now repeat the questions, but this time give the answers as indicated in brackets [ ].

The participants should check their own answers and assess how they have done.

(a) All babies and young children develop at the same pace. [FALSE] (b) Milestones are an indication of the types of things a baby or

young child should be able to do at a certain age. [TRUE]

(c) These milestones are only guidelines because babies and young children develop at their own pace. [TRUE]

(d) Parents/caregivers can stimulate their babies’ and children’s physical development in a variety of ways. [TRUE]

(e) Awareness of milestones can assist adults to identify possible physical disabilities at an early stage. [TRUE]

(f) Play is important for the physical development of a baby or child. [TRUE]

(g) Healthy food is important for the physical development of a baby or a young child. [TRUE]

(h) You need to regularly take your baby or child to the clinic or a doctor to check his physical development. [TRUE]

CLOSURE

You are at the end of Session 4. Remind participants that this session provided them with some key information on the physical development of babies and young children and what adults can do to stimulate this.

It is important that they apply what they have learnt today when they go back home and also share the information with their neighbours. Ask participants the following questions:

• If you want further guidance and advice on the physical

development of your baby or young child, and how to support it, where will you go to in your community?

• If you notice that one of your neighbour’s children is behind in their physical development, where will you advise them to go?

Allow a few participants to share their answers and write them on a flipchart, if you want to. Explain to participants that it is important to use the resources in their community to help their children grow up healthy and strong.

Tell the participants the date and time for the training of Session 5. Thank the participants for their involvement in this session and give them Handout 5: Physical development of babies and young children.

TRAINER HINTS

Write down some notes on the lessons you learnt or other interesting discoveries you made during the training of this session. You may wish to remember these the next time you train this session.

S E S S IO N 4 : P H YS IC A L D E V E LO P

HANDOUT 5: