Body awareness refers to the ability to understand where body parts are in space, how they move, and how they relate to each other and the environment. This essential perceptual motor skill forms the foundation for coordination, safety, and physical confidence in young children.
You probably know the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” but did you know its lyrics and movements help children develop important perceptual motor skills? As they dance and point to different body parts, children enhance their body awareness—a critical skill for coordination and movement. This ability supports their physical activity and overall health as they grow.
However, body awareness goes beyond recognizing eyes, ears, mouths, and noses. It plays a vital role in helping children navigate and interact with the world around them.
What is body awareness?
Body awareness is an understanding of the various parts of the human body, how they move, and how they relate to the environment.
The initial foundation of body awareness begins in infancy when babies first discover their hands or feet. As children age, they discover more parts of their bodies and how they move, allowing them to crawl, walk, run, climb, and play.
Helping children develop body awareness early is important. Research suggests that the foundations of body awareness are developed in early and mid-childhood and reach an adult state after 10 to 11 years of age. This means children with poor body awareness by late elementary years are likely to be less coordinated later in life.
Activities Across Developmental Domains
This free list includes developmentally-appropriate activity ideas for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
What is proprioception and how does it relate?
To ensure preschoolers in your childcare program have strong motor skills, it is helpful to understand the proprioceptive system.
Proprioception is an automatic sensitivity mechanism in the human body that sends messages through the central nervous system. It lets the brain know how to react to stimuli and with what amount of tension or force. It is the brain’s natural sense of movement and action, allowing us to walk, run, balance, and ride a bike without constantly watching our limbs.
While body awareness involves knowing each body part, proprioception involves understanding movement and force. Teaching children new motor skills involves training their proprioceptive systems, especially if the skill involves moving arms or legs without looking at them.
Why is body awareness important?
Strong body awareness allows children to understand their physical limitations and play confidently in the space around them. Properly functioning proprioception and body awareness allow a child to:
- Sit in a chair without falling over
- Close a door with the right amount of force
- Develop handwriting skills
- Play carefully with peers without bumping into them
- Navigate classrooms and new environments safely
In simplest terms, strong body awareness sets the foundation for nearly every important physical skill children need as they grow.
Useful body awareness activities
While proprioceptive systems typically develop organically, there are plenty of activities educators and families can do to help build body awareness. Here are a few favorites to incorporate into your lesson plans:
1. Play Simon says
This classic game is a great way for children to practice listening skills while isolating different body parts. Call out directions for children to follow. For example, "Simon says touch your elbow" or "Simon says close your eyes."
2. Incorporate music and movement
Combining music and movement makes learning fun. Songs like the “Hokey Pokey” or “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” give children a chance to dance while teaching them to identify body parts and differentiate left from right.
3. Bring on the bubbles
Blowing bubbles helps children work their "proprioception muscles." It encourages them to move through their environment to chase, catch, clap, and pop bubbles. Remind them to avoid bumping into furniture or other children as they navigate the space.
4. Play follow the leader
Have children mimic the actions of a "leader" to practice mobility. Alternate who gets to be the leader and have the other children line up behind them. The leader picks an action—such as jumping jacks, touching toes, or clapping hands—and the group follows along.
5. Move in the mirror
Mirrors allow children to perform movements and watch themselves simultaneously. Use large or handheld mirrors while asking children to make facial expressions or identify parts of their bodies they don’t normally see, like their noses or mouths.
6. Get on the playground
If you have access to a playground area, let children explore. Encourage them to climb and move as independently as possible. For older children, look for ladders, climbing ropes, swings, and monkey bars to interact with.
Pro tip: You can capture children’s progress toward developmental milestones during these activities with an easy-to-use tool like brightwheel’s daily activity report feature.
Body awareness and perceptual motor skills
Unlike physical movement, such as running and jumping, body awareness is a perceptual motor skill that children develop as their brains make connections to their bodies. It is one of several skills children need to master movement.
- Temporal awareness helps children gain a sense of rhythm and timing.
- Spatial awareness allows children to perceive how much space their bodies take up.
Collectively, these skills help children stay safe and active as they learn to explore the world around them.
Signs a child may be struggling with body awareness
While every child develops at their own pace, there are a few red flags to watch for. If you notice a child consistently displaying the following behaviors, it may be a sign of a developmental delay:
- Clumsiness: Frequent bumping into objects, tripping, or difficulty navigating familiar spaces.
- Poor motor control: Trouble grading movements, such as using too much force when writing or too little force when throwing a ball.
- Difficulty with self-regulation: May appear fidgety, have trouble sitting still, or seek out excessive sensory input (like crashing or jumping).
- Challenges with daily activities: Struggles with tasks like getting dressed, using utensils, or brushing teeth without looking in a mirror.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What are signs of poor body awareness in children?
A: Children with poor body awareness may appear clumsy, frequently bump into objects or peers, use too much or too little force when handling toys, or struggle to respect personal space boundaries.
Q: At what age is body awareness fully developed?
A: While the foundation begins in infancy, research suggests that body awareness continues to develop through early and mid-childhood, typically reaching an adult-like state around ages 10 to 11.
Q: How can I explain proprioception to families?
A: You can explain proprioception to families as the body's "internal GPS." It is the sense that tells the brain where the body is in space and how much strength to use without having to look at every movement.
Conclusion
Understanding and nurturing body awareness and proprioception in young children is essential for their overall development and ability to interact with the world around them. Early childhood providers play a crucial role in supporting these skills through engaging activities and clear communication with families.
By fostering body awareness, you help children build confidence, improve coordination, and develop the foundation they need for future physical and social success.
