Tilasimme Moovkidsiltä toimintakautemme alkuun sijoittuvaan henkilökunnan suunnittelupäivään liikunnallisen workshopin. Tavoitteenamme oli inspiroitua ja saada uusia ideoita sekä ajatuksia lasten liikuttamisesta varhaiskasvatuksessa. Workshopin meille veti Darlene Koskinen, joka on erittäin energinen, iloinen, asiantunteva ja aktiivinen vetäjä. Hänellä on hurjasti tietoa lasten kasvun ja kehityksen tukemisesta, nykypäivän haasteista, eri ikäisten lasten liikuttamisesta ja ryhmän ohjauksesta turvallisesti ja hauskasti. Pääsimme kokeilemaan monia erilaisia liikkeitä ja yksinkertaisia välineitä kuten palloja, renkaita, köysiä ja hernepusseja. Workshopissa oli sopivasti vauhtia, naurua, teoriaa ja tiimityöskentelyä, eli voimme lämpimästi suositella Moovkidsin Darlenea vetämään erilaisia toiminnallisia työpajoja. Meidän näkökulmasta workshop soveltui erinomaisesti varhaiskasvattajille tukemaan työskentelyä alle kouluikäisten kanssa, mutta soveltuu aivan varmasti yhtä hyvin myös nuorten ja aikuisten kanssa työskenteleville ja muuten liikunnasta ja liikunnan ilosta kiinnostuneille. We booked a workshop with Moovkids as a part of our planning day, which we have at the start of every term. Our goal was to get inspired and to gain new insight and ideas into movement with children in early education. Our workshop was ran by Darlene Koskinen, whom is a very energetic, bubbly, knowledgeable and active lady. She has a wealth of information about supporting the growth and development of children, the challenges we face in this day and age, how to adapt activities for different ages and how to control a group safely and effectively whilst still having fun. We were taken through our paces with many different activities and techniques as well as doing fun activities with simple equipment such as balls, ropes, hoops and bean bags. The workshop included in equal measure fun, laughter, theory and team work, and can warmly recommend this to other early educators as well as anyone who works with older children, teens or adults (or anyone interested in movement and the joy and benefits it brings!)

Here is an overview of what we found following the workshop with you and use of the Moovkids programme. We taught it with our 4 and 5 year olds. Both my colleague and I found your lesson plans very useful and adapted them for a class of 30. For example, we would have four teams completing an activity at the same time. We have found a significant improvement in the areas on which we have focussed. All of our children have now developed a secure understanding of spatial awareness and can balance on one leg without falling. In our first session, three months ago, seven children could aim and throw into a hoop, compared with 26 today and ten children could catch a beanbag compared with 21 today. Our predominant focus has been aiming and throwing and we have been developing the skills based on your lessons. Many thanks,