As nursery managers and owners, you see it daily: little feet running, tiny hands grasping, and endless energy bounding around your setting. But physical development (PD) in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is so much more than just movement – it’s about building the foundations for lifelong health and well-being.
In this article, we ask, ‘What is physical development in the early years?’ Looking at the three key parts of PD for babies and toddlers and sharing how you can improve your provision.
In this article:
What is EYFS Physical Development?
Did you know that PD encompasses movements like speaking and eating? If you thought physical development was all about balance and pincer grips, you wouldn’t be wrong… but not right either!
EYFS physical development focuses on three key areas:
- Core strength and coordination
- Gross motor skills
- Fine motor skills
Physical development is one of the seven key areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Because without it, children have poor health, well-being and struggle to engage positively with the world around them.
The EYFS Statutory Framework identifies PD as progressing incrementally, and where do physical development skills begin? With sensory play, of course.
According to the EYFS statutory framework, physical development also encompasses understanding the importance of physical activity and making healthy choices about food, drink, and hygiene.
This prime area of learning is not just about movement – it’s about building the skills and habits needed to thrive physically and emotionally.
High-quality nursery settings play a crucial role by providing children with safe, stimulating environments that encourage active play and skill-building, setting them up for long-term success.
Why is Physical Development important in early childhood?
A good level of EYFS physical development allows babies and children to move and control their bodies. In line with their developmental stage, physical development gives independence at all levels.
For example, when a baby can hold their head up independently, it expands their opportunity for sensory interactions. Just like when a toddler can, well, toddle – the world is their oyster.
When you finally master the skill of reading, endless learning opportunities are at your fingertips. Access to books and reading material becomes your only barrier to knowledge.
Physical development in early childhood is no different. When core strength, gross and fine motor skills are secure, children can navigate their environment with confidence, interest and curiosity.
1 in 5 children in England are classed as obese by age 11 – physical development in the early years is essential for an active and healthy life.
Aside from the obvious importance of physical movement, PD is also vital for brain development, emotional well-being, and social interaction.
When a child has underdeveloped motor skills, parents and practitioners can panic. There are red and amber flags when it comes to PD milestones, though a lot of time it can be normal staggered development where all children develop at a different pace.
When your nursery practitioners are confident knowing the difference between a physical development delay and spotting potential underlying PD Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), early interventions can be put in place.
Around 68% of nursery-aged children are deemed to have a ‘good level of development’ for PD.
Almost three in every ten children miss key PD milestones. The largest gaps in development levels are noticed in children with SEND and those from areas of high deprivation.
The role of the nursery in toddlers’ Physical Development
Nurseries play a pivotal role in supporting toddlers’ physical development, guided by the EYFS statutory framework.
Your nursery will have an engaging outdoor and indoor play provision for your children. Sparking excitement and motivation to build strength, stamina and coordination.
‘We often think it is cause for alarm when a child is displaying strength in gross motor skills but a weakness in fine motor skills (like pencil holding). Value can be taken from stepping back and looking at their motivation.’
Practitioners are tasked with creating a rich environment where all children can build gross and fine motor skills through activities like climbing, balancing, threading, and mark-making.
This is where knowing children’s interests becomes essential. When a practitioner has access to a child’s likes and dislikes, it becomes simple to use motivators to help target skills that need a little oomph.
For example, a child who enjoys being active in your outdoor provision may show strength in the large muscle areas (like arms, legs and core) but struggles with the activities that require precision simply because they are less fun.
Your mission then becomes making the fine activity interesting to that child using their interests as a vehicle.
To provide the individual support each child needs to progress, practitioners need to assess each child’s starting points and track their progress using observation and feedback.
Linking PD observations to your nursery’s chosen framework helps with whole cohort visibility. Giving you, as nursery manager, a firm grasp on where your children are currently working – see what we did there?
The three parts of Physical Development in early years
EYFS physical development is a broad and interconnected area of learning that can be broken into three core components:
- Core strength and coordination
- Gross motor skills
- Fine motor skills
EYFS core strength and coordination
Core strength and coordination form the foundation for good physical development in early childhood. Babies and toddlers will show increasing control over their movements (as they move from primitive reflexes to postural reflexes). They will be able to balance and use the correct posture for a task, like sitting up.
Nursery managers who prioritise all three key areas of PD are confident their babies and toddlers are given plenty of opportunities to strengthen all muscle groups and improve stability.
Core strength milestones include babies learning to lift their heads during tummy time and toddlers mastering sitting without support, standing, and walking confidently.
These abilities are crucial as they lay the groundwork for further gross and fine motor skill development, such as climbing, jumping, and holding a paintbrush.
EYFS gross motor skills
Gross motor skills involve large movements, like crawling, walking, running, and jumping. Using a lot of large area muscles (arms, legs and the like), gross motor skills develop muscle and bone strength through use.
We all know how fast a toddler can shift, we can thank gross motor skills for that!
EYFS provision that encourages walking on different surfaces and terrains helps develop the vestibular system (one of our eight sensory systems).
The vestibular system controls balance and how we interact with movement, making children feel balanced and grounded when they play on outdoor play equipment, or run down slopes and hills.
Interesting fact: we all have different tolerance levels when it comes to our sensory systems. It is thought that people’s fear of heights can come from the sensitivity in their vestibular system. This explains why some people feel safe and secure up a ladder whilst others find their knees knocking.
Gross motor skill milestones include babies pushing up on their hands during tummy time, rolling over, and beginning to crawl. Toddlers progress to walking steadily, climbing onto furniture, and running.
EYFS Fine motor skills
Ever had to prise a child off your clothing or hair? Although painful, their vice-like pincer grip shows their fine motor skills in action.
Fine motor skills refer to the precise, small movements made with the hands and fingers, which are essential for tasks like gripping, holding, and manipulating objects.
EYFS provision that supports the fiddley tasks helps to develop fine motor skills. Opportunities to strengthen their hand-eye coordination and dexterity through creative play are often the most effective way to boost fine motor skills with toddlers.
Fine motor skill milestones include babies learning to reach for and grasp objects, moving items between hands, and exploring textures. As toddlers grow, they progress to skills like playing with blocks, using cutlery (or trying to), and starting to draw or mark-make.
You and your nursery team can encourage development through sensory play activities like playdough moulding, finger painting, and threading beads, and don’t forget the use of homemade slime for sensory and fine motor skill development.
Nursery practitioners can observe and track each child’s progress using an online learning diary to highlight strengths and spot areas needing a little more support.
Thoughtful Physical Development provision in your nursery
Your nursery will have lots of active play opportunities for your children, but does it cover all areas of EYFS physical development?
Explore your existing EYFS curriculum, does it have a wide range of activities that challenge core strength, gross motor skills and fine motor skills? Think about the length of time the activity takes and the frequency they experience it during their time with you.
EYFS activities should be varied. But, some of your children may only see you for 1-2 days a week. Mix up your timetable to ensure all children get a diet made up of all seven areas of learning and development throughout their nursery day.
Build strong communication links with parents and share examples of how simple activities are preparing their child for visual-motor function tasks like reading. Parents can also be encouraged to share their own PD activities from home observations.
Physical development is one of the prime areas for learning for good reason. It allows children independence and confidence to explore the world around them. Your nursery team have an important job in nurturing many of their firsts with PD.
We’d love to show you how Blossom helps improve your physical development provision through effective tracking, parent communication and linking to statutory frameworks.
Book a Blossom demo!
