These suggestions cannot not and should not take the place of medical services. Be sure to check with your child's doctor before trying any of the activities or using any of the strategies listed. Occupational Therapy is a medical services, that requires a doctor's referral. If you feel like your child may benefit from services, speak to your doctor.
Printables, Activities & Resources for Core Skills
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Simple, Easy Ideas & Activities
Here are some activities that you can do with your child to help improve core strength:
1. Yoga: Try these sites for "kid style" yoga videos & activities:
http://www.yogakids.com
2. Pilates: Try these sites for "kid style" pilate videos & activities:
http://www.fitnessbeginnings.com/pilates-videos.html
3. Marital Arts & Karate
4. Gymnastics
5. Playground Equipment: especially climbing walls, monkey bars & tunnels
6. Balance Beams & Balance Boards
7. Hopstoch, Hula Hoop & Jump Rope
8. "Animal Races": for example:
10. Performing activities while laying on their bellies, keeping their head, neck and upper back upright.
11. "Wheelbarrow Races": have the child place their hands on the floor. Have an adult or older sibling (under the supervision of an adult) lift and hold their legs straight while the child moves only their arms to move forward. (If the child needs more support, hold closer to the hips. If the child needs less support, hold closer to the ankles).
12. Bounce Castles or trampolines
13. Tug of War
14. "Household Chores": (under the supervision of an adult) such as mopping the floor, vaccuuming, scrubbing tables, moving small pieces of furniture (i.e. kitchen chairs), sweeping, etc.
15. Riding a bike or scooter
16. Dancing or Stepping
17. ANY Sport Activities
1. Yoga: Try these sites for "kid style" yoga videos & activities:
http://www.yogakids.com
2. Pilates: Try these sites for "kid style" pilate videos & activities:
http://www.fitnessbeginnings.com/pilates-videos.html
3. Marital Arts & Karate
4. Gymnastics
5. Playground Equipment: especially climbing walls, monkey bars & tunnels
6. Balance Beams & Balance Boards
7. Hopstoch, Hula Hoop & Jump Rope
8. "Animal Races": for example:
- Crab Walking: have the child lean backward & put their hands on the floor. Make sure their bottom is off the floor & they are support their body with their arms & legs. Have them use their arms & legs alternately to "crab walk" around.
- Bear Walking: have child lean forward & put their hands on the floor. Have them walk moving their right arm & right leg forward at the same time, then their left arm & left leg forward at the same time.
- Frog Hop: have the child squat on the floor, bending at the knees as much as they can without their bottom touching the floor. Have them place their hands in front of them & then hop forward, landing back in the position they started in.
- Inchworm Crawl: have the child squat on the floor, bending at the knees as much as they can without their bottom touching the floor. Have them place their hands in front of them. Have them slowly walk their hands forward without moving their feet. Once they are stretched out as far as they can, have them keep their arms in one spot while they walk forward with their feet.
- Snake Slithering: (Commando Crawling): have the kid lay on their bellies and slither forward.
10. Performing activities while laying on their bellies, keeping their head, neck and upper back upright.
11. "Wheelbarrow Races": have the child place their hands on the floor. Have an adult or older sibling (under the supervision of an adult) lift and hold their legs straight while the child moves only their arms to move forward. (If the child needs more support, hold closer to the hips. If the child needs less support, hold closer to the ankles).
12. Bounce Castles or trampolines
13. Tug of War
14. "Household Chores": (under the supervision of an adult) such as mopping the floor, vaccuuming, scrubbing tables, moving small pieces of furniture (i.e. kitchen chairs), sweeping, etc.
15. Riding a bike or scooter
16. Dancing or Stepping
17. ANY Sport Activities
A Little Light Reading.....
Here are some great resources for integrating gross motor activities into a routine day:
- Key To Academic Success: Ready Bodies, Learning Minds 2nd Edition by Athena Oden PT available at www.readybodies.com
- Learning on the Move K-6: 85 Engaging Movement Activities by Phyllis S. Weikart and Elizabeth B. Carlton available at www.highscope.org
- Fitness on the Ball: A Core Program for Brain and Body by Anne Spalding and Linda E. Kelly available through Human Kinetics