A safe and supportive environment should be provided in which students can work, act, play and explore. To maximise participation and skill development, it is important that there be a high ratio of equipment to participants. As skills and coordination develop, students learn to link movement patterns with greater success. Young children should be provided with opportunities to skip using a hand-held rope, or follow and repeat basic movements in dance in developing a simple routine. These safe, cooperative activities and simple games lead to the development of group and game strategies at later phases of development.
Students learn to take turns, follow simple rules and share equipment and space.
Spatial awareness can be developed through the use of simple games that involve dodging and chasing individually, in pairs, or in small groups. Young children can learn the basic steps required to make decisions in familiar health and physical activity situations. With the assistance of adults, they are able make decisions and develop an understanding that more than one option often needs to be considered and that there are positive and negative consequences of their decision making. They develop awareness that they are constantly justifying their decisions and actions through situations such as play, food choices, personal hygiene, personal safety and friendships. They should be provided with opportunities to explain to friends, a teacher or family member the basic strategies used to cope with unsafe situations or unhappy feelings.