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Let's March!
Developing Motor Skills, Physical Fitness and Fun Through Marching
By Donna Smith
When my daughter was a toddler, I often found myself marching around the house with her. Who could resist that rhythmic beat of the Barney theme song? My neighbors probably got a good laugh out of us marching to the mailbox or marching in circles in the driveway. And secretly, I really enjoyed high-stepping around the house having my daughter following behind.
Silvana Clark has a secret too. "I have a confession ... because I work from home, I actually 'march' through the house as I go from my office to the kitchen to the laundry room," says Clark, the author of 301 Bright Ideas for Busy Kids: 11 Messy Projects, 12 Silly Games, 10 Cool Things to Make and Hundreds of Other Ways to Spend Time Creatively (Sourcebooks, 2003). "I figure raising my knees and swinging my arms gives me more exercise. Naturally I only do this when I'm alone!"
Toddlers love to be active, Clark says. "They're just getting stability walking, so running or skipping isn't quite in their developmental capability yet," she says. "Marching is the perfect way for them to take walking to the next step. Parents are so quick to tell toddlers, 'Slow down, you'll fall and get hurt.' Marching doesn't let your toddler get moving too fast, so the chance of falling is less."
"Children just seem to get a kick out of marching," says Rae Pica, children's physical activity specialist and author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child (Marlowe and Co., 2006). "It's like an exaggerated walk, and young children love anything that's exaggerated or silly. And, of course, the rhythm of a march – and of marching music – is nice and steady and resonates with the rhythm of their hearts."
