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We often think of babies moving once they begin to crawl. Truth is, babies begin to move their whole bodies when they grip their toes and scoot on their tummies. Make sure that your infant classroom offers even the youngest infants the opportunity to move their entire bodies!Infants need rattles, mobiles and bells to encourage them to reach, grasp and learn cause and effect. Why is this meaningful? When a baby moves and makes something happen, she thinks to herself, %u201cWow! I can make things happen!%u201d Her cognitive development grows; so does her independence and self-esteem. Now that you know how important movement is for infants, do you still think it%u2019s a good idea to put them in playpens and walkers? We don%u2019t.Would you believe that meaningful movement can also help children communicate? It%u2019s true!Children who are taught simple hand gestures can understand the gesture%u2019s meaning long before they are able to express that same concept in words. Imagine how liberating this is for a young child who has an idea, thought or need, but who simply doesn%u2019t yet have the words to express it! Toddlers and preschoolers learn especially well by practicing everyday living skillslike dressing themselves, helping to prepare food and watering plants. Why do they learn so well from these activities? Because they know that preparing food and watering plants is important %u2013 after all, they see adults doing these things all the time! As loving adults we know that purposeful actions help children develop concentration and independence. These skills help them to build a feeling of inner calm that prepares them for more complex thinking later on. IDEA5MEANINGFUL MOVEMENTHow to accelerate learning through into your classroom.33