Supporting Swansea’s Early Years through play - SKIP-Cymru’s growing impact

8 May 2025

SKIP-Cymru is a programme led by the ��Ҵ�ý to support early years physical development through play. With new evening training sessions and accessible resources, SKIP-Cymru is equipping practitioners across childcare settings to tackle motor skill delays and embed movement into everyday activities, helping to give every child the best start in life.

Here Dr Anna Stevenson, discusses its growing impact.

As awareness grows around the importance of physical development in early childhood, The ��Ҵ�ý is proud to be expanding its SKIP-Cymru training provision across Swansea – with provision tailored to the needs of childminders, nurseries, and flying start settings. With a mission to promote motor skill development through play, our evening training sessions are now opening new doors for those who often find daytime learning opportunities inaccessible.

a group of teacher on a training course throwing bean bags to each other

Over the past few months, we’ve welcomed the latest cohort of dedicated professionals onto the SKIP-Cymru training (at Level 3 and Level 4) - from continuing to support teachers and teaching assistants, working with practitioners from Flying Start settings to also now supporting local childminders. It is brilliant to see so many practitioners who are passionate about helping children build strong foundations for movement, learning, and wellbeing. These individuals bring brilliant insight and energy and are brought together by a common goal - to give every child the best start in life through engaging, purposeful play.

Creating opportunities for evening training

Working with Swansea Local Authority Early Years and Childcare team, the latest training is responding to local demand, and with the introduction of evening Level 3 sessions we can accommodate childminders and nursery staff with daytime commitments. The uptake has been fantastic. These sessions are more than just professional development, as they have created a community and network where like-minded professionals come together to explore practical strategies, reflect on their approaches, and spark new ideas.

Using the MiniMovers app, practitioners have an easy to use tool for supporting fundamental movement skills in everyday play and activities. The participants are not only enhancing their own knowledge but also becoming advocates for play-based motor development in their settings and empowering parents. By equipping them with evidence-based strategies and accessible online learning resources, we’re enabling practitioners to confidently support both children and their families.

Tackling developmental delays through play

Across Wales, the UK and globally, there is growing concern about the rise in developmental delays in children’s motor skills. For many children, opportunities for physical play have been drastically reduced, with increases in screen time, busy working parents, and less safe spaces to play. This has impacted everything from balance and coordination to attention and self-regulation and has concerning implications for health. Through our training, we’ve been able to address these challenges by helping early years practitioners understand how to recognise gaps in physical development and respond with playful, inclusive activities that make a significant impact. We’ve made sure practitioners have the knowledge to analyse children’s movement, identify what’s missing so they can modify activities with the right task and equipment so children feel success and make progress.

Essential motor skills such as catching, throwing, balancing, and jumping must be developed through playful opportunities and the right type of instruction. Drawing on work from the SKIP project in America, our evidence-based strategies have been shown to significantly enhance children’s physical development. When these fundamental skills are mastered early, they lay the foundations for sustained engagement in physical activity as children grow. Ultimately, supporting motor skill development in early childhood is key to building the foundations for a healthy, active future.

An additional strength of this approach is that these strategies aren’t confined to sports halls or PE lessons - they’re embedded into daily play, exciting stories, and simple movement activities that use accessible, developmentally appropriate equipment. Movement matters, and it can be embedded in every moment of a child’s day!

a group of teachers on a training course throwing scarves at each other

Celebrating expertise and leadership in the sector

Our team continues to champion the incredible work happening across Swansea and beyond. Nalda Wainwright, Director of the Wales Academy of Health & Physical literacy who heads up the SKIP-Cymru training, is playing a key role in shaping the national conversation around play and early years development. Nalda recently delivered a keynote address at the Play Awards in Swansea – Her message highlighted the urgent need to prioritise physical literacy in early childhood. Nalda is on the judging panel for the National Day Nursery Association awards, recognising innovation and excellence across the childcare sector, and will be delivering a workshop at the Sport Ireland Physical literacy Forum later this month in Dublin, a fitting recognition of her leadership and the collective impact of the SKIP-Cymru network.

Connecting practice, research, and community

What makes SKIP-Cymru’s approach unique is its foundation in research-informed practice. Our training is rooted in academic evidence but designed for real-world impact. Through interactive online learning, face to face discussions and hands-on practical activities, we aim to make learning practical, reflective, and empowering.

But perhaps what’s most inspiring is the spirit of collaboration that runs through every training course. Childminders and nursery staff come from different settings, with different experiences working with a range of children but they share ideas, celebrate each other’s progress, and leave with renewed energy for their roles. This sense of shared purpose is key for building a more connected, child-centred early years sector in Swansea.

a group of teachers carrying a ball throwing excercise

Looking ahead

As we continue to grow our training provision across Wales and beyond, we’re excited about the future. We’re developing new partnerships, exploring additional training opportunities for a range of practitioners working with children and refining our approach like offering evening sessions to better support those on the ground. Our aim is not just to deliver training, but to build a movement… one where physical development is recognised as fundamental to learning, wellbeing, and lifelong health!

The enthusiasm we’ve seen from local childminders and Flying Start teams as well as the many educators we work with tells us that this work is timely, relevant, and deeply needed. Together, we are making play a priority again and giving every child in Wales the chance to move, learn, and thrive.