Playgrounds

 Playing with a Purpose

 

Is everyone out and enjoying the first days of Fall?  Did you make it to the park recently?  I hope so.  You do not have to spend long outside but 10 minutes a few times a week can really make a difference in motor development.  For a child to develop good fine motor skills, sit up when learning at the table or at circle time, and attend to the teacher the children must have good core muscle strength.  Your child must be able to hold the trunk still or make small adjustment when moving arms and legs. The following park activities really work on the belly muscles and they are a lot more fun then crunches.

 

Swings

Swinging back and forth and holding on the chain- increases hand strength, abdominal tone, and balance

Stand in front of your child and encourage him to stick his feet out and grab them.  The weight shift back increases the impact to the above mentioned areas.

Hold onto a playground ball and have your child push off the ball with his feet to increase his speed.  This improves motor planning, and eye-foot coordination

 

Tunnels

Many playground climbing equipment includes tunnels.  They may be the long, curved tunnel, shorter grid like tunnel (on our playground) or just a round opening used to step or crawl through.  To enter the tunnel, your child must squat maintaining his balance, negotiate the opening, and plan how to crawl through (with bumping his head).  The crawling through works and balance reaction through the trunk and works on stabilizing and strengthen muscles around the shoulders and hips.  And because I am an OT, I always tune into opportunities to improve the coveted tripod pencil grasp.  Crawling through the tunnel provides weight shifts that help develops arching in the hand.

 

Balance Beams/ Railroad Ties

Kids are attracted to challenging balance tasks. Does your child look for the opportunity to walk on the edge of something? (curb, concrete stop in parking lot, back of couch) In the playground, help your child to walk with one foot on and one foot off of the curb, walk with both feet on, walk backwards, and jump off.  Your child will be working on core muscle strength, balance reactions, and bilateral coordination. 

Have Fun!

Beth