WHAT IS PHYSICAL LITERACY?
We believe in the power of physical literacy. Don’t know what that is? Well physical literacy is the body’s version of learning how to read and write.
We are taught to read and write because we understand it’s an important skill we need for everyday life. Our literacy means we can communicate with others in all kinds of ways and environments which is fundamental to being an active member of society. Physical literacy is exactly the same, just for your body.
It’s the competence and confidence of movement in different environments - for Movement Park that’s mats, equipment and wheels - to show you what your body is capable of, to value and look after your body, and to build up a habit to stay active for a lifetime. By having the fundamentals of movement under your belt, you become physically literate and you can adapt these movements to any sport or activity so you can live a healthy life.
"Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life."
The International Physical Literacy Association
The Movement Park System
Our Movement Park system has been created to help you develop your physical literacy. It’s an evidence-based system which has been adapted from Canada, the world leader for creating physical literacy tools.
How do you develop physical literacy? Well, it means having a large repertoire of movements in a variety of settings.
At Movement Park we focus on
Ninja skills - movement on mats and through obstacle courses
Parkour skills - using equipment to jump, swing, hang, climb and balance
Wheel skills - working with bikes, boards and blades for balance and building strength
We believe that if you combine all three you will develop your physical literacy to a supermover level, so we encourage our members to join our Movement Park system by attending a mixture of ninja, parkour and wheels based classes.
Physical literacy is a gateway to being active, and ultimately to active participation in life. It not only benefits your physical health, but has a positive impact on mental health, confidence and self esteem.
But of course, movement is better when it’s fun and with friends or family, so we’ve built a brilliant community of kids and adults of all levels and abilities who play and learn with us through our classes that are developed by design to support their individual growth.
Development by Design
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Supportive environment - Our classes are split into age groups so Movement Park members can learn with their peers. But we know that the same age doesn’t always equate to the same stage so we adapt our coaching to match ability.
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A new way to play - Movement should be fun! We want kids to be excited to come and play at Movement Park, which is why we’ve got a range of games and challenges to keep them entertained and we encourage family participation in some classes to give you shared experiences and connections.
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Inclusivity and confidence - We welcome everyone at Movement Park. It’s a great training ground for kids to prepare them for sport as teenagers and adults, so they have more confidence and less anxiety about their physical skills and interacting with team members. We offer girls only sessions to empower our young girls and build interest in sport. And we also run weekly classes to provide physical education and socialisation for parents who have decided to home educate.
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Encouraging progress - From tots to teens we all need some motivation. For the younger kids we have a sticker system and from P3 onwards we have introduced grading and competitions to keep them learning and improving.
Building long term habits
At Movement Park we want to build long term habits to keep children active into their teen years and beyond, so we focus on breaking down the barriers which stop your kids engaging in sport.
How do we do this?
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Making it FUN: When an activity is fun your children want to keep doing it so at Movement Park we use games and challenges to keep them entertained and learning new skills.
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It’s not about WINNING: Sure, winning at a sport is great, but if there is an overemphasis on winning it can exclude and demoralise some children.
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Spending time on the BASICS: Learning the fundamentals of movement gives you a headstart for any future sport or activity which builds confidence quicker
