Which areas does holistic development include?

When a child is born, many cornerstones of its development are already in place. But only through experiences, stimuli, and information can a child learn. Holistic development assumes that children gather experiences through movement and play, which consequently lead to development in various areas. It is particularly important to learn these skills during childhood, because deficits are difficult to catch up in adulthood. Development occurs on different levels:

Motor skills: The motor skills of your child are not developed at birth. But through movement and experimentation, the little ones quickly learn to coordinate hands and feet. Psychomotor skills such as gestures and facial expressions are also learned by children in the first years of life. Your child is now getting to know its physical abilities and also learning to assess them.

Psychological development: Through the successes and achievements that your child can record in daily play and through its physical activities, the foundation for its psychological development is laid. Your child also learns its physical limits. What attitude does your child have toward its abilities and its environment? Is it self-confident? Is it willing to take risks? Does it have strong perseverance?

Social development: Particularly through play with other children, your child develops social skills. It forms friendships; learns rules and to adhere to them; learns to manage conflicts and discovers that there are stronger and weaker peers and how to deal with them.

Cognitive development: Through movement and the opportunity to get to know many things in its environment, children understand the connection between cause and effect. By actively engaging with its environment, your child's intelligence and ability for reflective thinking develop. Because movement and perception trigger synapse formation in the brain, and the more complex these connections are, the more intelligent a person is.

Emotional development: In play, your child not only gets to know their body but also finds a way to express their feelings. Especially by slipping into different roles, but also when drawing or building, a child can process emotions such as anger and joy.

How can I integrate holistic development into everyday life?

It is not the goal to accelerate or force child development – each child has its own learning and development pace. Accepting this pace is important to avoid overwhelming children and to let them be themselves. But as parents you can support your child in their development. In terms of holistic development, this means: lots of movement for everyone, preferably outdoors! We have put together some tips for you on how you can promote your child's holistic development:

• Fun in play comes first. Because only if children really feel like it do they engage with an object or truly get into a game. Try to be patient if your child shows no interest. Offer them other activities until you find something they enjoy.

• Children are naturally creative and imaginative. Whether playing independently or with other children: usually the little ones come up with something to occupy themselves. But if they do get bored, you can encourage them to play or make suggestions.

• If your child is deeply engaged with a game or an object, do not try to interrupt them. Not even if you want to show them how it might work better. Children learn by experimenting; if they need help, they will come to you.

• Motor skills can be developed in small movement games, such as balancing or hopping games, and are a lot of fun for most children. Allow your child to play with other children. This way they can practice interacting with others, make friends, learn to measure themselves against others, and resolve conflicts.

• In Germany there are many kindergartens that emphasize movement. Movement kindergartens or forest kindergartens offer children freedom for adventure and outdoor play.

Image credits:

A little boy plays on an outdoor playground © Halfpoint - stock.adobe.com