Here is an excerpt from an email from a parent i had copied down years ago from the Childbrain.org forum. I can no longer find anything on it (which is the saddest thing in the world) as they had revamped the site past few years...i don't have any idea who the parent was but it summarizes the info precisely:
"They (the authors) break the physical program down into three categories- manual competance, mobility and balance.
(a) Manual competance (small motor skills) is best strengthened by brachiation- monkey bars. What I refer to as crawling (I've always called moving on all four limbs on the floor with your stomach up 'crawling', but the authors call this creeping) is also good for manual competance because it strengthens the arm and shoulder muscles.
(b) Mobility is the progression from crawling to creeping to walking to running- with a goal of three miles of running non-stop, I believe.
(c) There are a lot of fun balance activities. Anything that stimulates your child's inner ear (vestibular sense) is helping to teach him balance. We made a barrel covered in carpet (55 gallon drum) to roll over, balance on top of, rock inside of, etc. I put a crash pad of pillows on one side and I sing a predictable song, while rocking it back and forth, then I send my children flying off the top of the barrel into the pillows. This is great for them and very little physically straining for me- so great when you are tired or pregnant! In the book, the authors focus a lot on rolling- sideways, forward, and backward for balance. In the park, I would encourage seesaws, rope ladders, etc. "
in another post, the parent was suggesting the following for a 3yo, to have the following:
(a) Creeping Goals
(b) Crawling Goals
(c) Independent Brachiation
(d) Balance Development Course (log rolls, forward rolls, backward rolls, balance beam in preparation for a full gymnastics program)
I realize sometimes that Aapi is such a little monkey and she's constantly moving, or climbing, or jumping, etc. L. does that to a little extent but not nearly as physical as her older sister. So, i do feel sometimes that her frustrations (she screams murder whenever she thinks that she's been dealt with unjustly by anyone in any manner) could be the result of not being too active physically... which should Alert me to concentrate on the physical program for her, especially.
