Bi-lateral Movement and the Great Outdoors!

Apologies to any experts who read this attempt to explain my theories on the importance of bi-lateral movements and the outdoors and how and why it influences my designs and 'creations'.
There have been huge leaps in the understanding of child development in recent years, particularly with the use of new technologies and this has enhanced the understanding of how the human brain develops.
Rather simplistically put, my current understanding is thus:

• The Early Years are the most essential time for brain development as this is when the brain synapses flourish and grow - rather like a huge unkempt shrub!
• At a specific point, the unused and unstimulated synapses are trimmed, leaving the brain to focus on the most developed neurological pathways - bit like a gardener pruning to make a shrub grow stronger and fuller limbs
• The brain's synapses are then coated with mylelin, a special substance which strengthens pathways and aids the transference of information around the brain
• Neurological development continues throughout childhood although there are 'windows of opportunity' where certain skills/neurological development can take place
• While brains are adaptable, scientists largely agree, that many skills have 'centres' of neurological development that can be mapped
• Bi-lateral (or cross body) movements help to stimulate neurological development and strengthen the paths of synapses across the brain's hemispheres - basically help the left and right sides of the brain to communicate effectively
• Recent studies indicate that bi-lateral movement stimulates the development of strong neurological pathways, particularly those relating to auditory development

So there you have it! If we want schools full of children who are able to listen and learn, we need lots of bi-lateral movement in those crucial Early Years! The English education system had quite a large emphasis on sitting and sitting and sitting...even though research has started to trickle through to the policy makers, it's all discounted for the easier option!
Shame really, we have the responsibility and the ability to make education and childhood so much better simply by creating environments and systems which promote movement, particularly bi-lateral movements such as crawling, stepping, climbing and dancing!
Unfortunately, in England this tend to be incorporated in highly structured lesson plans which diminishes creativity, so this is what I endeavour to include in all my design specs.
It doesn't have to cost a fortune, ideally, yes it would be wonderful to have these beautiful, enhancing spaces wherever children play...but it is possible to do this imaginatively without breaking the bank!

Trialling 'stepping stones' and steps for distance and height! Great way to get the child's brain developing...through their feet!

Yep, it gets the thumbs up!

Physical activity leads to happy, healthy and intelligent children...you have a child who has walked early (like our son pictured above) and you need to encourage as much physical activity as possible to ensure those synapses manage to develop effectively without that long crawling period which many children have. Some believe that the date when a child started to walk should be in bold on all educational records - and I would agree with them!
Walking at a young age may seem great, and lots of parents try to rush their child onto this stage, but as a parent with children who have all walked early, our son pictured above was pre-ten month walker,  and it raises alarm bells, because those children will then need extra support to encourage enough bi-lateral movements to make up for missing valuable months of crawling.