Early Excellence Podcast An In-Depth Look at Physical Development with Helen Hawes
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Oct 3, 2025 Helen Hawes, a dedicated practitioner and consultant in young children's physical development, explores the crucial yet often overlooked area of physical growth in children. She discusses the importance of adapting classroom activities to enhance core skills and suggests fun strategies like using wobble cushions to improve balance. Helen highlights the decline in children's physical abilities post-lockdown and shares actionable exercises to boost fine motor skills and sensory experiences. She also addresses retained reflexes and their surprising impact on learning and behavior.
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From Coach To Parent-Researcher
- Helen traced her interest in child development back to researching her own daughter's early difficulties and contrasting them with her sporting background.
- She switched roles to share that knowledge with families and schools after discovering gaps in common advice.
Physical Development Underpins Learning
- Physical development underpins all other learning and must be considered holistically across the day.
- Small changes to routine activities can significantly boost physical skills without extra time.
Adapt Activities To Build Core Skills
- Adapt everyday activities to build physical skills, e.g. use tummy time for book exploration or vertical surfaces for drawing.
- Use simple aids like wobble cushions to challenge balance and core during routine tasks.
