Moving Bodies – Learning Minds: Why and How to Use Movement to Support Self-Regulation in Early Childhood

During early childhood, the critical period of self-regulation development coincides with significant motor development. That is why this age period is a window of opportunity for using movement to promote self-regulation skills. Based on the intrinsic association between movement and self-regulation, this analytic review discusses why and how different types of movement activities foster self-regulation in early childhood. These activities include movement games, cognitively demanding motor activities, music and dance, and mindful movement. The paper further outlines the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms that make movement activities beneficial for self-regulation and offers suggestions about how these activities should be designed.