Gross Motor Ideas
- Go to the playgrounds around the area, if allowed under state mandates. All the schools have nice playgrounds as well as the Linden Park across from Clover Beach and the Linden City Playground behind Snippers barbershop off of Broad St. (Silver Lake Rd.) The State Road playground has awesome stair climbing opportunities.
- Practice stepping over things and into things such as a sandbox, a low wading pool, an obstacle course, a curb or outside step, etc. (work on one foot standing balance and strengthening).
- Practice ‘balance beam’ activities by walking on a board, sandbox edge, playground edge, curb with adult assist, standing like a statue with one foot directly in front of the other. Standing on one foot and counting, etc.
- Play with a balloon. Bat it back and forth, encourage your child to keep it up in the air, throw it up and catch it. For the skilled player…alternate hitting it with left and right hands.
- Ball skills. Catching and throwing big and little balls, dribbling, kicking etc. It is easier to catch a gently thrown bounced ball or a balloon to give more reaction time. Play soccer. Throw a soft Frisbee.
- Practice jumping in place or jumping forward, backward, sideways, and jumping off a bottom step with both feet together.
- Hopping. Stand and hold on to a table and hop with preferred foot or hold hands.
- Bear Crawl - (walking on hands and feet), Crab Walk - (sitting-raise buttocks up and “walk” on hands and feet), Wheelbarrow walking - (pick up child legs and have them walk on hands), Dancing - (step sideways-both directions, get fancy and do some sideways crossovers), Line Dancing, “Simon Says,” and “Follow the Leader.” Put the music on and shake it!!!
- Running, Run in a figure 8 pattern, go for walks, ride tricycles, scooters. Linden has an awesome paved bike trail in the County Park that starts at the east side of Linden Rd/Bridge St. where the sidewalk ends (across from the Storage business) and runs near through playground area to the soccer fields.
- Have your little one open heavy doors for you, push heavy objects when walking (a person on a stool, a chair etc.)
- Play catch in kneeling, half-kneeling, go from kneeling to half-kneeling (football players position) and alternate sides. Go from side-sitting to kneeling to half-kneeling.
Gross Motor Skills and Activities from Your Therapy Source Website
https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2020/03/23/gross-motor-skills-and-activities/
https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2020/03/23/gross-motor-skills-and-activities/
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