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Physical literacy is the development of fundamental movement skills needed for daily activities, physical activity, sport, and movement. 

It is essential for children’s optimal growth and development. It sets the path for a life-long relationship with physical activity, learning new skills, and good physical and mental health. 

Although physical literacy can be developed at any stage in life, it is best to start early because intensive brain development forming critical neural connections occurs in the first five years of life.

Fundamental movement skills are basic movements that involve various body parts on land, in the air, in the water, and on ice or snow. 

These movement skills form the basis of physical literacy and must be learned and practiced by children to build competence in their movements and confidence in their abilities.

Fundamental movement skills include:

• Locomotion skills are the foundation of human movement. As we improve these skills, our bodies develop strength and gain stability, and our ability to move efficiently in different ways improves. Locomotor skills enable moving through space, such as walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, swimming, skating, and climbing.
• Balance skills are required for all forms of movement. Static Balance is the ability to hold a position without moving. Dynamic Balance is the ability to maintain balance while in motion. 
• Object manipulation skills involve using an object such as a ball, a ring, a racket, etc. In addition to developing hand-eye and foot-eye coordination, object manipulation skills develop a sense of timing and spatial awareness, which is helpful for activities such as throwing, catching, hitting, kicking, and dribbling. 

In Canada, only 39% of children and youth (five to 17 years) meet the recommended 60 minutes of moderate—to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily. In addition, children spend approximately 8.4 hours of their day being sedentary.

Due to increased screen time and lack of physical activity, there is an increase in obesity, a decrease in fitness and an increase in the risk for chronic diseases later in life, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, osteoporosis and depression.

With physical literacy, children will be competent and confident in participating in various physical activities and settings. They will progress to more complex skills used in sports, leisure activities, and vocations and continue to be active throughout their lives. Also, they are more likely to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Physical benefits include reduced risk of injury and illness, emotional benefits could be the increase of self-esteem and happiness, and lastly a cognitive benefit of enhanced engagement at school. 

As a parent:

• Be positive role models.
• Provide opportunities for children to develop and practice fundamental movement skills, including the use of nature and outdoor play.
• Encourage children to move and positively reinforce their efforts. Allow children to guide activities based on their interests and building on their ideas.
• Ensure children have ample rest between activities.
• Facilitate activities that use a wide variety of fundamental movement skills.
• Model and encourage determination as they learn new and challenging movements.
• Promote the building of children’s resilience and critical thinking by facilitating the use of learned skills in new and exciting environments.
• Modify activities for children of differing developmental abilities.
• Foster an environment that supports learning through practice and ensures children can regulate their emotions, behaviour and attention in order to cope with the demands of their situation.
• Support children in learning self-regulation during play so they can improve their ability to self-regulate in more challenging environments.