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MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES - December 2020
MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES - December 2020
Movement is so important for all of us and children, especially, crave movement in any way! Have some fun with your child whether he/she can walk or uses a wheelchair. Move at different speeds, spin in circles, do some stretches, or play some games. These will help to stimulate his/her different sensory systems that are important for balance, level of alertness, and level of motivation and engagement.
Play “Find it and Tag it”
Remember the need for movement in a fun way. This can be adapted to meet your child’s needs.
This is a versatile game that can be used to review many different skills. Tell your child to find something and tag it. For example, “Find and tag something blue.” Or “Find and tag something that starts with /s/.”
Your child can roll, crawl, jump, hop, etc to find the object.
Adapt:
Propel your wheelchair to tag the objects. Create obstacles to maneuver around when looking for the items.
If your child does not have independent mobility: Move the wheelchair for your child as he/she looks for the objects or position your child in sidelying, on stomach or supported sitting and give them items to choose from.
Freeze Dance: Play music and dance. Freeze when music stops and start again when it starts.
-Red Light/Green Light: Use this to help teach colors and stop/go ideas. Move when there’s a ‘green light’, stop when it’s a ‘red light’.
Stretches: you can model these stretches with your child, or you might need to help him/her to do them. These can all be done sitting in a chair or in a wheelchair.
1. Stretch and Relax: Sit up tall in the chair with your feet on the floor. Raise both arms overhead, clasp hands and gently look up at your hands. Hold for 5 seconds. Slowly lower arms back to side, relax shoulders down and elongate neck holding for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
2. Dragonfly: Sit up straight in the chair with your feet on the floor. Lift your arms up to shoulder height palms facing to the rear. Pinch your shoulder blades together pushing your arms backwards with elbows straight. Hold for 3 seconds. Return your arms to starting position at shoulders. Push back again holding for 3 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
3. Overhead Stretch: Sit up tall in the chair with your feet on the floor. Raise your left arm overhead. Reach up with your right hand and grab your left wrist. Gently pull your left arm and bend your trunk slightly to your right. Hold for 10 seconds. Lower your hands and repeat with the right arm overhead, grabbing with the left hand, bending to the left and holding for 10 seconds.
4. Reach and Grab: Sit up tall in the chair with your feet flat on the floor. Reach left hand up and behind the back (palm facing your back). Reach the right arm down and around to the back (palm facing out). Try to clasp your fingers together and hold for 5 seconds. Relax arms and switch lifting right arm up and back and left arm down and back. Repeat 2 times. If you can not clasp the fingers together just reach the hands together.
5. Twists: Sit in the chair with your feet flat on the floor. Look over your right shoulder, reach your right hand behind the chair and your left hand to the right side of the chair. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat to the left side and hold for 10 seconds.
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