The Program for Young Children physical education experience focuses on the development of both fine and gross motor skills by exploring body movement through a variety of learning styles. Preschool students are introduced to locomotor, non-locomotor, manipulative concepts, and muscular strength and fitness activities in both individual and cooperative learning environments. Basic life skills are also introduced and practiced throughout the program. The use of imagination and creativity are woven within each unit in the curriculum to make concepts age appropriate and fun. Swimming is the longest unit during the year where the girls have the opportunity to explore their comfort level in the water, are introduced to water safety, and learn basic swim strokes. The 4/5 class and the 5/6 class attend physical education classes twice out of the six-day rotation for forty minutes throughout the entire school year.
The 4/5 experiences and concepts within physical education are teacher driven and focus on a single-skill per lesson throughout the first semester. The goal is for the girls to gain confidence in their abilities and continue to build their skills while having fun and making connections to lifetime activities and sports. Health and wellness plays a large role in the content of each lesson and how it is presented to the students. Endurance is a term used often during the warm-up portion of class where the girls learn about pacing themselves while jogging and performing other locomotor skills such as fast walking, running, galloping, skipping, sliding, marching, hopping, jumping, rolling, and crawling. The majority of the year is spent in the gymnasium where the students experience and practice many different concepts such as:
- underhand and overhand throwing, catching with and without implements
- movement patterns and dance, basic yoga skills
- bounce and catch tasks, dribbling exploration (hands and feet), kicking skills
- striking skills with implements
- roping skills
- scooter exploration
- introduction to personal fitness and wellness
- cooperation, team work, listening to and following directions
Towards the end of the school year the girls will participate in a swimming unit. They will be introduced to many different concepts and experiences in the pool and locker room such as dressing and undressing oneself, pool rules, water readiness, entering and exiting water, use of personal floatation devises, water safety, and basic swim strokes.