Activities to Help Develop Your Child’s Motor Skills!
For your baby: It is very important for your infant to have tummy time, especially since we put babies to sleep on their back. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, babies who play on their belly while interacting with their parents and caregivers achieve motor milestones more quickly than babies who don’t. Move your baby’s arms and legs along to simple songs. The rhythm and movement help build an early form of coordination. Older babies enjoy playing with balls and they can learn tracking skills and ball handling from rolling a ball back and forth while seated.
For your toddler: Play a parachute game with a large blanket or sheet by holding the edges and bouncing objects in the air. During this activity your toddler is building strength in his/her arms, moving feet sideways, in, and out; and learning the concept of up and down. Continue playing catch with your toddler using a heavier ball as it helps them feel the input through their muscles and joints. Toddlers love water play and you can work on gross and fine motor skills by filling up buckets of water and “paint” the driveway with water using large paint brushes.
For your preschooler: Preschoolers can work on their balance in a fun way by walking on unstable surfaces. Cover the floor with pillows and cushions, throw a blanket over them, and ask your preschooler to walk across. Preschoolers are learning about how much force to use when doing various tasks. Work on these skills with them by stacking blocks or empty soda bottles and have your child knock them down from close, far away or with different body parts (or rolling to knock them down with their entire body). Hopscotch and jump rope is another way to work on balance, core strength and hand-foot coordination.
WITH ALL KIDS….RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS ENHANCES KIDS’ MOTOR SKILLS, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ATTENTION , AND ACTIVITY LEVEL!!!
