Physical Development Network: Move to Thrive! The 8 Sensory Systems

As early years professionals, you play a crucial role in laying the foundations for children’s lifelong learning, and understanding the body’s sensory systems is key to that mission.

In this session, we’ll go beyond the five senses we’re all familiar with and dive into all eight sensory systems:

1. Visual
2. Auditory
3. Tactile
4. Gustatory
5. Olfactory
6. Vestibular
7. Proprioceptive
8. Interoceptive

We'll explore how they influence a child’s physical development, behaviour, and ability to engage with the world around them.

This session is packed with practical insights and real-life strategies you can take straight into your classroom or setting.

We’ll look at movement-based learning, sensory-rich environments, and simple ways to support every child’s unique sensory needs through everyday routines and activities.

Get ready to reflect, interact, and maybe even move a little!

---

Join our Physical Development Network: Move to Thrive!

A community of early years educators sharing best practices around movement, motor skills, and physical activity.

The network will provide:

• A platform for training, resources, and evidence-based strategies to support children’s physical development.
• A space to promote staff wellbeing through movement-based approaches that benefit both children and practitioners.
• Opportunities to collaborate across settings, share resources, and embed physical development into curriculum planning.

Why It Matters

Physical development is foundational for cognitive growth, emotional regulation, and academic readiness, especially skills like handwriting, coordination, and posture.

What we are offering

A series of three network meetings facilitated by Helen Battelley, designed to build self-belief, confidence and competence.

Network sessions will support staff well-being and nurture a deeper understanding of movement practice and its theoretical underpinnings.

Each session can be accessed as a standalone session, or join all three to deepen your knowledge, understanding, and practice in this prime area of learning and development.

About the Facilitator

Helen Battelley is an internationally renowned consultant, author, and trainer in Early Years Physical Development.

She chairs the National Early Years Active Start Partnership (NEYASP), driving positive change in policy and practice across the UK.

Helen lectures at multiple UK universities, is an AfPE-approved provider, and delivers global training on embedding movement into early years curricula.

She co-developed the Physical Activity Adventure Pack, consulted on Sky TV’s Animal Movers and Mini Me, and created Physical Phonics for the National Literacy Trust.

Helen’s work champions play and physical activity as vital foundations for every child’s development from birth.