Gross Motor Strengthening

What Is Gross Motor?

Physical skills such as gross motor skills are essential for movement of one’s body and participation in activities both at home and in school. These skills develop with practice and repetition as children grow. It is important that children are provided with opportunities to move and explore their physical abilities. Gross motor activities are important for development of core strength, eye hand coordination, posture and upper extremity strength. Core strength is important because our bodies work from our core outward. To participate in fine motor tasks or even to sit upright in a chair our bodies require good core strength. Gross motor skills are important for children to perform and engage at home, school, socially and for recreational activities.

OT’s utilize strategies that focus on a variety of areas to address motor skills. This can be achieved by adapting larger physical tasks down to smaller obtainable goals to reach the overall larger task. Through participation in exercise and strengthening of core muscles to improve stability, attention to task, body awareness, and praxis (motor planning).

Gross Motor Activities

Puppy crawl

Crawl like a puppy for 10-30 feet. Great for strengthening weight bearing and weight shifting.

Bear walk

Bear walk 20-30 feet. Feet should be behind your buttock and hands in front of your head in line with your body. Great for strengthening weight bearing and weight shifting.

Crab walk

Complete 10-30 feet. Can be done moving forward or backwards. Great for strengthening weight bearing and weight shifting.

Hand strengthening

Putty or playdough play - pinching, rolling, or hiding and finding small objects. Web site to make playdough - https://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/homemade-playdough-recipe.html

Using tongs to pick up and place items into a container (can use small pompoms, cotton balls, small toys, ice cubes...

Legos play or snap blocks

Squirting items with a squirt bottle

Water play with sponges submerge sponges then squeeze the water out of them

Paper crumple - take a piece of paper or newspaper and crumple it in your hand into a small tight ball try to complete with one hand at a time

Heavy Work activities to provide resistance to muscles and joints.

Pushing/pulling activities - pull chairs out from table, push chairs under the table, place items into a box or into a laundry basket and have child push and pull the basket/box.

Carry laundry basket or books

Tug of war

Vacuum

Wall or seat push-ups

Build a fort out of blankets, chairs, cushions, and pillows.

More Heavy Work Activities

Deep Proprioceptive and “Heavy Work” Activities

1. Carrying heavy cushions.

2. Fall into beanbag chair

3. Pillow fights

4. Jumping and rolling games

5. Rolling up in a blanket

6. Bouncing on a hoppity ball

7. Rolling a ball/bolster over the child

8. Sandwich games (with sofa cushions, mattresses)

9. Playing catch with a heavy ball, bouncing, and rolling a heavy ball

10. Pushing weighted carts or boxes (across carpeted floor)

11. Playing tug-of-war

12. Pulling a wagon full of toys

13. Animal walks (crab walk, bear walk, army crawl)

14. Scooter board (sit or lie on stomach and propel with arms)

15. Climbing on a jungle gym

16. Playing in sandbox with damp heavy sand

17. Have the child “help” by pushing chairs to a table

18. Pushing a child’s cart filled with cans and then put the cans away on a low shelf where the child need to be in a weight bearing quadruped position (on allfours)

19. Have the child color a “rainbow” with large paper on the floor in a quadruped position.

20. Playing “cars” under the kitchen table where the child pushes the car with 1 hand

21. Have child put large toys and equipment away, and hand out objects to other family members and class members

22. Sofa pillows are a great source, pull them off the sofa, climb on them, hide under them, jump and “crash” into them, jump from one to another. Place some on top of child and some underneath, play hot dog and roll a ball heavily on child, adding “mustard”--“ketchup”—“relish”….

23. Parents can squeeze child and rub them briskly with a towel

24. Play “row, row, row your boat” both sitting on the floor, pushing and pulling each other repetitively, which also encourages eye contact.

25. Rice play, koosh balls, water play, jello play

26. Swinging in a sheet supported by two adults.

Web site: https://www.hellowonderful.co/post/easy-indoor-activities-for-kids/

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