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Introducing Caring for Children and Young People

Holistic development

When children learn and develop across all areas, we call this holistic development.
This means that all the areas of development are interconnected or combined as a
whole.

Activities planned for children should be holistic and encourage connections between
the different developmental areas.

For example, children playing an outdoor game of hide and seek will:

• Run and climb into hiding places (physical development)

• Play together (social development)

• Make rules (emotional development)

• Plan where to go and predict where others may be hiding (intellectual
development)

• Talk and give instructions (language development).

Key Facts

• Interconnected means linked together

• Holistic means whole or altogether

• Holistic development means looking at all the areas of
development together or as a whole.

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