Children Going Barefoot In An Early Childhood Setting

15 Jan
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From: Aussie Childcare Network

Children love being barefoot! It’s comfortable and it enables them to feel free. Feeling the
freedom of their movements and allows them to feel more liberated. Why not embrace it!

Benefits Of Being Barefoot

When a child walks with bare feet, not only does it improves walking, balancing and movement, it
also can provide a range of health benefits.
Stimulate Pressure Points and The Nervous System – Feet are hard-wired with multiple pressure
points and nerve endings to convey messages to other parts of the bodies. Going barefoot stimulates
them and the entire nervous system.
Strengthen Joints and Muscles – Walking barefoot strengthens the muscles in children’s feet and
ankles, improving balance and posture. It engages the feet’s arches, strengthening them, and
improves the alignment of muscles throughout the legs.
Strengthens Feet and Body – When barefoot, we grip the ground more easily using the muscles of our
feet and toes, strengthening them and reducing the risk of trips and falls. Walking barefoot allows
us to maintain the full function of our feet.
Foster a Connection With Nature – Children become more aware of their surroundings – how the ground
feels, is there a sharp rock ahead – their senses are heightened They feel the papery leaves
crunching underfoot. The softness of the grass. The sharpness of prickles. When all five senses are
fully engaged, they completely connect with nature and children develop an appreciation of the
natural world they are walking through.
Allowing children to directly feel what they are walking on allows stronger messages to be sent to
the brain about exactly how is best to walk on certain types of surfaces. It is argued that shoes
cloud these messages, and cause more accidents.

Children That Spend Time Barefoot May Have Increased Motor Skills

A study has shown that children who spend most of their time barefoot have increased motor skills
and are better in jumping and balancing scientist say.
This study is published in the journal “Frontiers in Pediatrics”. It assessors the relevance of
growing up with shoes vs barefoot, in motor performance such as jumping, balancing and sprinting
during the different stages of child development.
Reports show that children who habitually walk barefoot are noticeably better in jumping and
balancing compare
to those children who wear shoes particularly between the ages of 6-10 years.

This research also highlights the importance of barefoot exercise for motor skill development as a
child grows and matures.

Safety Concerns Of Allowing Bare Feet

Throughout the learning environment (both indoor and outdoor) a variety of experiences that are set
up which can cause incidences when not wearing shoes such as slipping in water, stepping on toys
such as Lego and dropping scissors onto bare feet.
Safety Considerations To Keep In Mind
Insist children wear sunscreen on their feet. Feet can get sunburned just like any other part of
the body—it’s important to keep feet protected from the sun.
Keep the temperature in mind. On a warm day, sand or asphalt may cause serious burns. If it’s a
bright sunny day, you might want to insist your child wear shoes while outside.
Ensure walking surfaces are free of hazards at all times by tidying away toys and craft items,
mopping up spills, and sweeping away sharp sticks or stones.
Be sure that the centre is kept at a comfortable temperature. Keep the heat on during the winter
months and lay rugs down on the floor. This will keep children from having to walk on a cold floor.

Our skin is designed as a barrier to keep out pathogens, with a higher probability of becoming ill
from touching something with our hands than our feet. Being barefoot toughens the soles of the
feet, so unless children are walking through a dangerous area, the likelihood of an injury is slim.

Strategies To Get Started On Being Barefoot

Create a Barefoot Policy and get the feedback from parents. Explains the reasons behind this
policy, and the safety measures that will be taken.
Be mindful when shoes are necessary and ensure all educators know when children need to have their
shoes back on.
Explain to children when and why shoes are required, such as when it’s time to go home, so they
understand when it’s okay to be barefoot.
Encourage children to take their shoes off when they arrive and throughout the day to walk on a
variety of different surfaces regularly such as dirt, sand, gravel, stones, carpet, tiles, and
floorboards.
Place a shoe rack or basket in each room or at the front of the centre, so shoes are stored neatly
and out of the way and can be located easily when needed. Teach the children where to place their
shoes when they take them off, and to put socks inside shoes so they don’t get lost.
Consider having educators go barefoot at various times of the day to model the behaviour.
Set up sensory activities for the feet such as walking in slime or set up different trays with
different materials like sand and water to stand in.
Make sure to have plenty of towels for drying feet in case they require rinsing off throughout the
day.
Don’t force children to take their shoes off if they want to keep them on. In time they will follow
what other children are doing so best to let them welcome the behaviour on their own terms

Being barefoot enables children to relax, and reawaken the senses. It also helps them understand
spatial awareness, it gives them a sense of different textures under their feet and it helps their
feet develop naturally. Research also tells us that children thrive in the outdoors and natural
environments, so not having shoes as a barrier between feet and the natural world increases the
health promoting effects of spending time in nature for social and emotional wellbeing.
References:
Children Go Barefoot, Early Years Careers
Children That Spend Time Barefoot May Have Increased Motor Skills, Child Weekly
Barefoot Kids, Your Modern Family
The Benefits Of Letting Children Go Barefoot, You Are Mom
Lose The Shoes How Children Can Benefit From Barefoot Learning, Care For Kids Australia
Printed from AussieChildcareNetwork.com.au (http://www.aussiechildcarenetwork.com.au)

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