We often talk about physical literacy in terms of skills: running, jumping, skipping, balancing. But what if it鈥檚 also about something deeper? Something quieter or more powerful? Something measured not by medals or metrics, but by moments. Moments like a child taking their first confident stride across a gym floor or a grandparent joining in a family game of tag or a youth returning to a sport after a tough year because someone said, 鈥淚 believe in you.鈥�

These are the moments that matter because they show us what physical literacy is really about. Not just movement, but meaningful movement. Movement that鈥檚 connected to confidence, motivation, and belonging. Movement that becomes memory.

Movement with Meaning

You don鈥檛 always remember how fast you ran, or how far you jumped, but you remember how it felt to be included. To be part of something. To feel your body and your spirit working together, even if just for a second.

That鈥檚 physical literacy also. When we support youth in learning to move with joy and confidence, we鈥檙e not just teaching them skills, we鈥檙e planting seeds for future moments. For showing up. For saying 鈥測es鈥� to trying again. For finding their place on the team, the stage, or simply the playground.

The Power of Being Present

Physical literacy grows in the moments we鈥檙e present, not distracted by outcomes, but grounded in experience. A parent tossing a ball with their child. A community member showing up for a weekend event. A coach who notices the small win. Because sometimes the greatest impact isn鈥檛 in teaching a perfect skill. It鈥檚 in being there. Witnessing it. Holding space for it.

And the ripple effect? That one moment of confidence can become the reason a child tries something new next week. That shared laugh can be the bridge to connection. That small act of movement can be the start of a lifelong relationship with activity.

What Is Physical Literacy?

It鈥檚 more than learning to run, jump, skip, and balance. It鈥檚 developing the skills and the confidence, motivation, and understanding to move in a way that feels good, and to keep moving for life.

And at the very beginning of it all, we find something beautifully simple called fundamental movement skills: throwing, catching, rolling, sliding, balancing, jumping, kicking, dodging, spinning. These may seem small, but they are huge for a child鈥檚 development. They are the foundation of every moment to come.

Because a child who learns to balance might one day try skating. A child who learns to throw might find joy in baseball, hand games, or javelin. And a child who learns to move confidently might one day keep going, even when life feels tough.

The Hidden Power of Everyday Play

We don鈥檛 always think about it this way. But every time a child climbs a hill, rolls down a snowbank or jumps across puddles, they鈥檙e building the tools for resilience because movement is more than activity. It鈥檚 identity. It鈥檚 how we explore our world, test our limits, and grow into ourselves. It鈥檚 how we measure a moment, not in distance or speed, but in courage, connection, and joy.

In my work across the North, I鈥檝e seen countless moments like these. A shy child who speaks through their movement. A teen who regains confidence through sport. A parent relearning the joy of play alongside their child.

When we talk about physical literacy, we鈥檙e talking about everybody. Every body. Every story. Every path to movement.

Whether you鈥檙e learning to hop for the first time or returning to sport after a long pause, your movement matters. When we focus on skills and spirit, we don鈥檛 just create active communities, we create resilient ones.

So here鈥檚 my invitation to you: celebrate small wins. Help someone take their next step. Literally. Let鈥檚 reimagine how we measure success in sport and recreation. Let鈥檚 pay attention to the moments. The first time a child says, 鈥淚 can do this!鈥� The quiet courage to show up again. The joy of moving just for the sake of it.

Be part of it. Encourage play. Share your time. Because when we build strong foundations through fundamental movement and meaningful moments, we grow something more powerful than performance. We grow belonging. We grow confidence. We grow connection. We grow the superpower of resilience together.

When we nurture physical literacy, we鈥檙e not just building skills, we鈥檙e creating conditions for something greater. The belief that every moment of movement matters. 

When we start to see those moments, not as small but as significant, everything changes.