C – is for COORDINATION

Coordination is an essential skill that helps children move with control, efficiency and confidence.

Put simply, coordination is the ability for different parts of the body to work together smoothly. It allows children to combine movements like running and jumping, climbing and reaching, or throwing and catching.

In early childhood, coordination is still developing. Children strengthen this skill by practising movements that require their arms, legs, eyes and brain to work together.

That’s why coordination is such an important focus in Junior Gym and preschool gymnastics programs. These movement experiences help children build the foundations for physical activity, learning and participation in many kids sports later in life.

Why Coordination Matters

Developing coordination helps children move more efficiently and confidently in everyday activities.

Movement efficiency

When children develop coordination, their movements become smoother and more controlled. Tasks like running, climbing, balancing and jumping require less effort and feel more natural.

Sports readiness

Coordination is a key foundation for almost every kids sport. Skills like throwing, catching, kicking and changing direction all rely on the body working together in a coordinated way.

Brain–body connection

Coordinated movement strengthens the connection between the brain and body. This helps children process movement information, respond to their environment and build stronger learning pathways.

Confidence through success

When children feel capable moving their body, they become more willing to try new activities and challenges.

How We Build Coordination in Junior Gym

In Junior Gym, coordination is developed through engaging activities that encourage children to combine movements and problem solve.

Some of the ways we build coordination include:

Obstacle courses
Moving through a series of different activities encourages children to climb, balance, crawl and jump while coordinating multiple body movements.

Climbing challenges
Climbing requires children to coordinate their arms and legs while maintaining balance and control.

Throwing and catching activities
These tasks help develop hand–eye coordination and timing while encouraging children to track objects and control their movements.

Through these playful activities, children develop the ability to move smoothly, respond to challenges and control their body in different environments.

Over time, these skills support not only gymnastics but also playground activities, physical education and a wide range of kids sports.

Bonus C: Confidence

While Coordination is the focus of this post, there is another “C” that sits at the heart of everything we do at Skylark: Confidence.

When children learn to control their body and experience success through movement, their confidence grows naturally.

In Junior Gym, we aim to create an environment where children feel safe to try, explore and develop new skills. Our coaches celebrate effort, encourage persistence and help children experience the satisfaction of learning something new.

This confidence doesn’t just stay in the gym. It helps children approach new experiences with curiosity and belief in their own abilities — whether that’s trying a new activity, joining a team or stepping into the classroom.

At Skylark, helping children develop confident, capable movers is at the heart of our mission.

The ABC’s of Junior Gym

This article is part of our ABC’s of Junior Gym series, where we explore the many ways movement supports your child’s development.

Each post focuses on a different skill or concept that children develop through Junior Gym and preschool gymnastics, helping to build:

• strong bodies
• confident movers
• active minds
• positive social skills

From Awareness and Balance to Confidence, Coordination and more, every letter highlights how movement supports whole-child development and school readiness.

Explore the other articles in the series:

• A is for Awareness
• B is for Balance

Because when children learn to move well, they gain the confidence to explore, learn and grow.