Physical development is an important part of a child’s growth. It is responsible for the development of muscle control, motor skills, coordination, strength, and fitness levels.
This blog will outline the physical development milestones children aged 7 to 12 years should meet, including what kinds of activities they should be able to do and how parents, teachers, and caregivers can support the physical development of their children.
What is physical development?
Physical development refers to the growth of the body and the brain. It is related to your ability to be active, have control over the movement of your body and muscles, and it contributes to physical coordination, strength, and balance.
For children, physical development plays an important role in the formation of fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
What physical activities should a 7 to 12-year-old be able to do?
Children develop at different rates, so the physical activities they can do will vary from child to child. However, we have outlined the kinds of activities children between the ages of 7 and 12 should generally be able to do below:
Physical ability in 7-year-olds
At 7 years old, a child will start to display:
- Coordinated use of large muscles to carry out activities like swimming, climbing, and jumping
- The ability to ride a bike
- Improved balance
- Throwing and catching skills
- Some fine motor skills like being able to handwrite their name, paint, draw, and tie their shoelaces
Physical ability in 8 to 9-year-olds
As children continue to develop, 8 to 9-year-olds will:
- Start to develop more complex moving skills
- Have increased stamina
- Develop better fine motor skills, allowing them to write between lines in notebooks and cut out irregular shapes with scissors
- Be able to dress and groom themselves independently
Physical ability in 10 to 12-year-olds
Between 10 and 12 years old, children will:
- Show more enjoyment in team sports
- Have better endurance
- Have improved handwriting
- Be able to use a variety of tools
- Show higher levels of coordination
- Show more skills in sports activities
Physical development milestones for children aged 7 to 12 years old
Physical development involves two elements: physical growth and physical fitness. Physical growth is about the changes to the body, whereas physical fitness is related to the child’s changing activity levels and attitude to sports.
Physical growth milestones
As children physically develop, their bodies will begin to change. They will start to grow taller and gain a bit more weight. Their muscles will also begin to develop. While these changes take place, it is common for children to start showing signs of insecurity about their appearance.
Physical fitness milestones
Children between the ages of 7 and 12 need to get an appropriate amount of exercise. As children develop physically, they will start to display more sophisticated skills in sports and show more interest in team activities and competition. It can be helpful to nurture this and encourage them to get active.
It is recommended that children between the ages of 7 and 12 do at least one hour of moderate exercise a day. Exercises should mostly be aerobic, so activities like running, swimming, and dancing are great options. Muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities are also suggested at least three days a week.
How can I help encourage physical development in my 7 to 12-year-old child?
There are plenty of ways you can help encourage physical development in children. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or caregiver, there are things you can do at school, home, and outdoors to help support physical development.
Get your child involved in sports
If your child begins to show an affinity for a certain sport or shows interest in being part of a team, why not encourage them to pursue this as a hobby?
Showing your support by signing them up for a team, taking them to practice, and going to matches to cheer them on will keep them active and engaged in physical activity while giving you the opportunity to spend more quality time together.
Encourage your child to get moving at home
As a parent, it is important to encourage your child to get moving at home. There are many ways you can do this, including implementing physical activity into your daily routine, limiting screentime, and investing in games equipment that your child can play. This can include balls, hula hoops, skipping ropes, and trampolines.
Encourage your children to get active on their own or with friends, whether this is in the garden or outside in the local village or town, or join in with them yourself; they will likely enjoy spending valuable time with you!
Facilitate a healthy lifestyle
As well as encouraging children to get active at home, helping children live a healthy lifestyle more generally can help aid physical development. Eating healthily and having a balanced diet will give children plenty of energy to burn off during physical exercise.
Allow your child to participate in outdoor play
Outdoor play is a fun and engaging way to facilitate the physical development of children. Playgrounds include a range of playground equipment that can help build a child’s strength, coordination, balance, and more. From play towers to climbing walls and outdoor gym equipment, allowing your child to play in diverse outdoor play spaces can aid their physical development well.
Sovereign Play’s Physical Development Outdoor Equipment
Sovereign Play has over 30 years of experience in creating fun and engaging playgrounds across a range of markets, from councils and nurseries to primary schools and secondary schools.
Our dedicated team of playground experts understand the importance of a safe and secure play environment in the physical development of children. We are here to help you curate the perfect playground tailored to your needs.
We offer a comprehensive range of services, including:
Contact us online or call our team on 01702 804200 for more information on how we can turn your dream playground into a reality.
