Q: What has been the best part of your MoovKids journey so far?

A: This is an easy question to answer. I just absolutely love to create activities and lesson plans. Thinking of new ideas and fun ways to teach children really gives me that happy feeling. And I can do it all day long. In fact, I often do lesson planning when I am on holiday because that is one of the most pleasurable things for me to do when I am feeling relaxed.

I am always trying to think of new ideas using the equipment I have. Sometimes the children come up with some great ideas, too. Most of the equipment activities I create are using beanbags, balls, hoops and ropes. In addition, I create locomotive activities, jumps, balances, reaction games and activities that help develop visual processing and sequencing.

When I see hand-held equipment such as soft cubes, plastic relay batons, small rings or foam blocks in catalogues, many ideas immediately come into my mind and I just have to order that equipment. Then I create and test different activities together with the children that I teach weekly here in Espoo, Finland.

Even in creating activities there is the choice of individual, partner or group activities. Often the same activity can be done in a variety of ways. See what I mean? Never-ending opportunities to be creative!

Children love to be introduced to new activities. For them it is fun and exciting to try something new. One significant and wonderful fact is that every activity that a child does – no matter how simple it is – has many developmental benefits, so no activity goes to waste. When doing movement, children are also practicing social skills, team work and learning self regulation.

Skill-focused movement activities support the development of the fundamental movement skills needed for learning and participating in sports and hobbies later. If children are already physically prepared and physically confident in their physical abilities, they will be more willing to learn and participate in new sporting activities and challenges. This leads to a love of moving and exercise and a healthier and happier lifestyle.

To know that the activities I create are so beneficial to young children and that they play such an important part in developing both a healthy body and a healthy brain is a huge responsibility and one I thrive on. I sincerely hope my creative juices will flow for many years to come. The satisfaction of seeing children enjoying and benefiting from these activities makes it all worth it.

Darlene Koskinen

Find more activity ideas at moovkids.com