The Joy of Movement: Lesson Plans and Large-Motor Activities for Preschoolers

Easy to follow lesson plans.

Dr Hafner provided interesting and fun ideas for movement activities with children that you will feel good about doing with them since they are both healthy and fun! I like that you don’t need a lot of props or extras for the activities, and those that do were easy to find and inexpensive (pluses for anyone, parents/family, teachers, etc). I am not great at coming up with creative things to do with kids, so this was a real help to me in the idea department! I like that the activities focus on improving children’s motor skills and keeping their minds and bodies healthy and active and having so many available in one book. It was a nice personal touch in knowing the Author is the mother of 4 as well as having a doctorate and many years of PT experience.

I was hoping this book would offer some activities to build coordination for a six-year-old in my violin class. Some of the activities will be useful, and there are a few fun, creative ones. However, generally the book was much lighter on content than I'd hoped -- it's a slender volume and about half the activities are designed for a group class (and many require a larger space such as a gymnasium). There are also a few notable gaps: - Some activities are not actually explained -- e.g. the author assumes that everyone remembers what a crab walk is. (She only explains it in a later chapter). There are no pictures or diagrams. - There is only one activity which involves matching a steady beat. I was hoping for a movement sequence to prepare different rhythms in different body parts, since this is a physical challenge as well as a musical one. This dimension is missing. - The author introduces the Qigong unit saying, "I discovered a book about qigong ... I decided to try a few of the sequences with my classes" (direct quote). She then lists these activities. I think this is a fine approach for a casual article, but for a pedagogical text the standards of scholarship should be considerably higher. Qigong is a serious practice and merits consulting a Qigong teacher for advice on what is a useful entry point for young children. - The book is arranged in lesson plans rather than by skill sequences -- so you have to read the entire book to dig up the various activities (and many activities are repeated). Bottom line -- this book is useful if you are a preschool movement teacher and want some "made for you" lesson plans. If you are a parent or one-on-one teacher and are hoping for one "go-to" resource, I would keep looking.

I received a complimentary advanced copy from Mary Lynn after attending the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference last November. The lesson plan format and organization are some of the best features in this book because the activity plans are structured in a highly logical and comprehensive manner; from the supplies you need for your movement activity; to the how – conducting and concluding your movement activity. The best feature in this book is how easy it is for the teacher to recognize the technical (movement) outcomes each activity achieves, e.g., visual, auditory, and/or tactile. A very teacher-friendly book with simple, yet effective practical exercises to keep kids moving and to make motor skills development fun for kids and teacher. Highly recommend!

As a preK teacher and director for 38 years I can highly recommend this wonderful book for teachers and parents. The philosophy, ideas and information are presented clearly and concisely. It was also a fun read and I found myself nodding in agreement and smiling. It’s obvious that Dr Hafner knows what she’s talking about and enjoys sharing it. I also happen to know that her four children are happy, healthy, creative, well rounded children! It’s a pleasure to write this very positive review. Molly Ford

As a physical therapist I LOVED all of the different ideas and themes that were provided in the book for getting kids moving and active. The layout was great and easy to read. The book had a great flow and is a great resource for any parent, teacher or therapist looking for creative and fun movement activities for preschoolers!

I worked with the author using these techniques at our school. The lessons were varied and focused and the children absolutely loved them! These organized and researched fun activities for children are amazing at helping to assess where kids are developmentally and helping them focus and refine their skills.

Good explanation about topic. Lesson plans examples for pediatrics but, you cannot see a simple illustration of what author is talking about.