WHO, WHY, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE?
WHO is Kids in Motion, WHO developed the programme and WHO can participate in the Kids in Motion programme?
- Kids in Motion is a Motor Development programme.
The focus of the programme is Gross motor development, including the basic gymnastic skills.
- The Kids in Motion programme is developed by Dr. Anquanette Peens.
- The Kids in Motion programme is for toddlers and beginner gymnasts aged 2 – 8. We also help older beginner gymnasts to learn all the basic gymnastic skills.
- Due to fact that we are working with developmental building blocks we can accommodate little gymnasts in all these age groups.
WHY do children participate in the Kids in Motion programme?
- The Kids in Motion programme includes the key concepts of Motor Development such as: Body Coordination, Midline Crossing, Bilateral integration, Spatial orientation, Body awareness, and Balance (static and dynamic).
- The Kids in Motion programme also includes activities for Strength, Endurance, Agility and Flexibility.
The above mentioned activities are done in a fun and playful way – No sit-ups, push-ups, dips – we do strength training with animal walks/jumps.
We want to create a Love For Movement and Activity.
- Learning movement skills, especially gymnastic skills, are like using building blocks.
With the Kids in Motion programme we are building the foundation for motor development.
We make sure that the gymnasts have a strong and steady foundation to build on.
When there is a steady foundation and the basic building blocks for motor development are in place, the sky is the limit.
Who am I?
I am Anquanette Peens, wife of a loving husband and mother of four amazing children (two girls and two boys).
I finished my degree in Human Movement Studies at the North West University (former Pukke) in 1999. In the year 2000 I completed my honours degree in Kinderkinetics and finally in the year 2005 my path as a student finally came to an end when I completed my PhD in motor development.
For a couple of years, during my post graduate studies, I worked as the manager at P.R.E.T. land (the facility at the university where Kinderkineticists do their practical hours) and was later employed as a lector at the North West University. I loved the interaction with all the children, the students and all the research projects but in my heart I always knew that this won’t be permanent. How can I (who love children) be at work from 8am till 5pm and not spend time with my own children. Then in September 2008 when our second daughter was born I resigned.
I loved being at home and raising our children. It was like living a dream. Hard work, but fulfilling. Little did I know that along the way we would decide to home school our children. Maybe it was because I love teaching so much and more than that I absolutely LOVE it to take complex information and break it down into little pieces so that children can understand it. With all the research experience and working with children with learning difficulties I realized that I have the urge to help children learn in different ways. Furthermore, I always had, and still have the dream of developing a complete curriculum where children can experience the joy of learning, all of them learning in a way that they understand. Still in developing stages and time consuming, and then realizing where my priorities are right now, I will someday complete this. But in the meantime, I love what I do, to spent time with and guide my children.
In the afternoon my children go to gymnastic practice and then I coach.
What a humbling experience working with such kind of honesty.
I absolutely adore children and am passionate about their development. I am, and always will be, at a place where I try to help children, to become who they are meant to be. This is why I started the Kids in Motion programme. To be able to put the learning into action.