Key Stage 1 PE · Fundamental movement skills

KS1 balance, agility and co-ordination: a guide for parents

Alongside running, jumping, throwing and catching, the National Curriculum asks schools to develop children’s balance, agility and co-ordination in Years 1 and 2. These are the building blocks that make every later sport and physical activity easier. Children practise them through playful challenges, on their own and with others, and begin to take part in both competitive and co-operative activities.

Balance, agility and co-ordination, explained

Balance is the ability to hold or control your body position. Static balance means staying still, such as standing on one leg. Dynamic balance means staying steady while moving, such as walking along a line or landing from a jump. Young children wobble because their bodies and brains are still working out how to keep the centre of the body steady. Wobbling is not failing: it is how the body practises correcting itself.

Agility is the ability to change direction and speed quickly and smoothly. It is not the same as being fast. A child who can dodge, sidestep, stop and set off again is agile, even if they are not the quickest runner. Schools often build agility through tag-style chasing and dodging, weaving through cones and darting into a space. These are valuable later in team games, when children have to move away from or towards other players.

Co-ordination is about making different parts of the body work together smoothly. Hand-eye co-ordination might mean bouncing a ball and catching it. Foot-eye co-ordination might mean stepping over a line of beanbags. Whole-body co-ordination might mean hopping and clapping together or moving the left arm and the right leg at the same time. Teachers include activities that use both sides of the body, so that children don’t rely on only their stronger side.

Activities are usually fun and low-pressure. Children try balances on different body parts, travel across low benches or lines, copy a partner’s shape, and take part in dodging games. The curriculum asks that pupils can take part in competitive activities, both against themselves and against others, and in co-operative ones, in increasingly challenging situations. A child might hold a balance longer than their previous try, race a partner through a course, or work together to hold a shape. Schools decide the activities, but the aim is steady progress and confidence.

Words your child will hear

Balance: Keeping your body steady, either still or while moving.
Agility: Changing direction or speed quickly and in control.
Co-ordination: Making different parts of the body work together smoothly.
Dodge: Moving quickly sideways or changing direction to get away from someone.
Stance: The way you stand, with feet apart or together, ready to move.
Sequence: A series of movements put together in order, such as balance, turn, jump.
Mirror: Copying a partner’s movements as if you were their reflection.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 1 says:

Pupils should be taught to master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others.
Pupils should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: a balance challenge that gets harder

How can your child practise balancing in stages and see their own improvement?

Clear a flat, carpeted or grassy space with nothing hard nearby, and take shoes off if the floor is not slippery. Ask your child to stand on both feet with their weight even and eyes looking at a spot on the wall.
Lift one foot and balance on the other for a slow count of five, with arms out wide. Count it together and then try the other leg.
Make it harder by changing one thing at a time: put the arms by the sides, then up in the air, then try with a toy held in one hand. Notice which change causes the most wobble.
Try different body parts: balance on one hand and one foot, or on knees and one hand. Hold each shape for a count of three, then make a new one.
Add a partner. Take turns copying each other’s balance shape like a mirror, or have the partner challenge you to hold on while they try to make you smile.
Finish by adding movement: walk along a line of tape on the floor, hold a balance at the end, then step off and start again. Share the best result and the hardest part.

There is no set time your child has to reach. Good progress looks like a longer, steadier hold on each leg than last time, a steady gaze, and being able to hold two or three different body-part balances. Wobbles and putting a foot down are part of learning. The key points to praise are looking at a fixed spot, holding the body still and the willingness to try a harder version.

Common mistakes and how to help

Thinking a wobble means the balance has failed

Children see adults and classmates holding a still pose and assume that any movement is a mistake.

What helps: Explain that wobbling is the body making tiny adjustments. Count how many seconds they last, not whether they moved at all.

Looking at the feet to stay steady

It feels natural to watch what you are standing on, but moving the head makes balance harder.

What helps: Pick a spot on the wall at eye height and ask your child to stare at it. Most children notice at once that they wobble less.

Confusing agility with speed

Races and sports days put the spotlight on the fastest runner, so children assume that being quick is all that matters in games.

What helps: Play a game where the winner is the child who can change direction best, not run furthest. Weaving round cones or dodging a chaser both reward quick turns.

Believing co-ordination is something you are born with

Some children seem to pick up skills very quickly, so those who struggle conclude they are “just not sporty”.

What helps: Remind them that skills improve with practice. Try challenges that make the two hands or sides work differently, such as patting the head while rubbing the tummy, and celebrate every small improvement.

How to help at home

Stork stand. Challenge your child to stand on one leg at odd moments in the day, such as while you sing a short song together, then swap legs. Choose a clear spot on carpet or grass in case of a wobble. Add a count to beat their previous best.
Cushion stepping stones. Lay cushions on a carpet as stepping stones and have your child cross without touching the floor. Vary the gaps, and keep them on carpet or grass, never on a smooth floor where cushions slide.
Mirror game. Face each other and take turns being the leader, moving slowly while the other copies exactly. It builds balance, body awareness and concentration, and makes a good co-operative game.
Dodge and chase. Play a gentle chase game in the garden where your child must change direction to avoid being tagged. Agree boundaries and a safe stop signal, and swap roles often.
Left-right challenges. Ask your child to bounce and catch a ball with the weaker hand or tap the left knee with the right hand. Keep it playful and short so that it stays fun.