Dance along with a few of these videos or dance to three of your favorite songs.

Don't Sit Down A Very Simply Dance MILK A Moose-Ta-Cha Pop See Ko Poppin' Bubbles

Crossing the Midline

The Midline is an imaginary line that divides the body in half. ‘Crossing the midline’ refers to a person’s ability to reach over this imaginary line with an arm or leg, and perform a task on the opposite side of their body. Crossing the midline is an important developmental skill that children need to establish in order to be able to do things such as writing, cutting, tying their shoelaces, playing sports, and much more.

You can do some Crossing the Midline exercises with this video.

Here is another video to try.

Here are some other movements to try:

Side bends.

Have your child stand tall with his or her hands reaching for the sky, and then ask him or her to bend his or her torso to the right so his or her arms are pointing in that direction. Return to the middle before bending to the left.

Lazy Eights & The Elephant

Lazy Eights

• Draw a figure eight lying on its side in the air with your writing hand – repeat this 5 times

• Now do the same with your non- writing hand

• Now attempt this activity using both hands simultaneously

The Elephant

• Do the same again but this time put your ear against the upper arm of your writing hand.

• Swing your arm, head & the top half of your body loosely through the air

Figure 8s.

Figure 8s are a great way to cross the midline. Draw a large figure 8 on a chalkboard, piece of paper, or with chalk on the sidewalk, have your child stand/sit in the middle of the figure 8, and then ask him or her to trace the shape using his or her finger, a pencil, a piece of chalk, etc. using his or her dominant hand. The shape of the figure 8 will force him or her to cross the midline while tracing, making this one of the easiest crossing the midline exercises for kids! You can make this extra fun by using shaving cream and a cookie tray if you want to add a sensory component to this activity.

Windmills

Have your child stand tall and then ask him or her to bend over at the waist and touch his or her left foot with his or her right hand. Return to a standing position and then repeat with the opposite hand and foot.

Household chores

If you’re looking for crossing the midline exercises for kids that are simple to setup, wiping down tabletops, washing the windows, and even washing the car are all great options. The idea is to have your child use his or her dominant hand for these activities and to make large sweeping motions.

Simon Says

Have your child stand tall, and then lead him or her through different gross motor movements: ‘Simon says touch your right hand to your left knee’, ‘Simon says do 3 jumping jacks’, ‘Simon says reach your hands over your head and then lean to the left’, etc. At some point throughout the game, provide a command without saying ‘Simon says’ first, if someone does the movement just making a loud buzzing sound and say, "Simon didn't say..."

Playing Clapping Games

Simple clapping games such as Patty Cake, Miss Mary Mack, or Double Double are fun ways that children can cross their midline.

Clothesline Activity

You will need a string, some clothes pins, and some note cards or small pieces of paper. Number the note cards from 1-20. Mix up all the cards.

Hang a piece of string up and have your child clip the note cards in numerical order.

Encourage your child to stand in the middle of the string and reach over to the start of the string. You’ll notice he or she will need to cross over their right hand for the start of the string or if he or she are left handed they will need to cross over to finish the string. Challenge your child to use his or her non-dominant hand.

Thanks to TeachStarter and Meraki Lane for ideas on Crossing the Midline

It’s time to go on a leaf walk with a family member or friend.

• If you can, walk outside where there’s trees, grass, or bushes.

• If you can’t, it’s okay to walk inside your home.

  • • Use the OPENPhysEd.org Leaf Sheet.

    • Print and cut out the leaves (or draw and color your own).

    • If walking indoors, scatter the cut out or colored leaves around your home.

• Click here to get the Leaf Walk sheet.

• • Click here to see the December calendar.

  • These are ideas to get you and your family moving.

  • How many can you check off before the end of the month?

HEARING

Discussion Questions: The following questions are written in language appropriate for sharing with your child.

1. Why is our sense of hearing important? How do we hear? Do you know what parts of our body help us hear?

2. Sounds are all around us! What are your favorite sounds to hear? Why? What do they sound like? How do they make you feel? What are your least favorite sounds? Why?

3. We need our ears to hear, so we have to take care of them. Can you think of ways to take care of your ears and your hearing? What do you think might be dangerous to your sense of hearing? How can you stay away from those things?

Related KidsHealth Links:

Your Ears

Taking Care of Your Ears

What’s Hearing Loss?

Can Loud Music Hurt My Ears

What Is an Ear Infection?

What’s Earwax?

Senses Experiment: Model Eardrum

Movie: How your Ears Work