Building Strong Bodies: Physical Literacy and Active Play in Millwoods
Mar 14, 2025
At Ideal Daycare & After School Care, our mission is to provide an extension of your family's environment, serving as a second home where children can grow and thrive. A vital part of this growth is ensuring that every child has the opportunity to develop physically in a safe and welcoming environment. As a licensed daycare in Millwoods, Edmonton, we prioritize physical literacy and gross motor development to help our students build the pillars for a healthy and active life.
Promoting Physical Literacy Daily
At Ideal Daycare & After School Care, we believe in enhancing physical movements for our children daily, a commitment that is reflected directly in our Daily Program Planning. The curriculum we have built is designed to meet the physical needs of the children by providing an all-round, balanced variety of indoor and outdoor games and sports. These activities are carefully tailored to each child's interests and abilities, ensuring that every child feels confident and engaged while they remain active.
Safe and Stimulating Indoor Environments
Our facility at 6013-Millwoods Roads South is designed to foster development while maintaining high safety standards. Our indoor play environments are organized to allow children to move freely without disrupting others, featuring appropriately sized furniture and equipment for various age ranges.
For our toddlers and preschoolers, we schedule specific times for gross motor activities. These sessions are vital for helping children stay active. To ensure safety, our educators conduct daily safety checks of all play areas before use, fixing or reporting any hazards immediately.
Outdoor Adventures and Nature Play
We understand the importance of fresh air and exploration. Our outdoor play space policy ensures that children have access to a sufficient area for active games and various gross motor activities. Our fenced outdoor environment includes natural elements such as plants, trees, gardens, rocks, mud, and water, providing children with rich, sensory-driven physical experiences.
Beyond our play spaces, we make use of our beautiful Millwoods community. Our daily outdoor policy includes walks to local landmarks like Sakaw Park, St. Richard Park, and Meyokumin Park. During the summer, we arrange special field trips to further enhance physical literacy and community connection. To maintain safety during these excursions, we ensure staff-to-child ratios are enhanced wherever we are off-site.
Weather-Ready Physical Activity
Living in Edmonton means being prepared for all seasons. Our climate-controlled facility is equipped with air conditioning, allowing children to enjoy active games indoors during extreme heat. Conversely, during the winter, we follow strict wind chill and cold weather reports from Environment Canada. Typically, we do not take children outside if temperatures fall below -17°C, ensuring that their physical activity is always safe and comfortable.
A Commitment to Safety and Supervised Play
Whether indoors or out, our Alberta Government certified care providers are trained in First Aid and CPR and are always present to monitor play. Our staff position themselves to see the entire play area, participating in activities to ensure children are playing safely while promoting self-confidence and curiosity.