Strength

Strength is an important aspect of child development. Typically, a child progressively gains more and more strength throughout childhood. Strength underpins the development of many skills such as walking, running, climbing steps, hopping, jumping, etc. Did you know strength even underpins appropriate grasp patterns and many other fine motor skills? Helping children to grow in strength is vitally important. Some of the tasks outlined on this page--jumping and hopping--can also be utilized to promote coordination and balance. Core strength is one of the most crucial areas of strength. The popcorn and superman exercises that are described under the sensory integration category are excellent activities to build core strength. When building core strength, the target time for holding the superman and popcorn positions increases with age and ability. Your PT team will help you to know how long to guide your child to hold these exercise positions.

Scooter Board Activities for Building Core Strength

Here is a short list of some fun activities to do while on the scooter board.

• Body Bowling. Set up bowling pins at one end of the room, and have the child ride the scooter board down to knock them over.

• Fishing. Scatter magnetic fish around the floor and have the child go find them all.

• Superman catch. While lying on a scooter (or floor), toss a pillow or stuffed animal from one person to another.

• Pull the child around with a rope or a hula hoop.

• Do a puzzle. Have the puzzle pieces at one end of the room, and the puzzle board at the other end.

• Sorting. Have bean bags or other objects at one end of the room that can be sorted into containers at the other end of the room.

• Shopping. Place play food around the room, and you tell them what they need to find and get.

• Obstacle course of things you need to scoot around.

• Place cones around the room, and give the child ping pong balls that they have to place on top of the cones.

• Follow a path of tape placed on the floor.

Safe Use of a Scooter

• When the child is on his/her tummy, place the child where the belly button is approximately in the center of the scooter. All four wheels of the scooter should be on the surface before pulling or pushing the child.

• When the child is seated on the scooter, place the buttocks in the center of the scooter. Too far forward and too far back will cause the scooter to tip. All four scooter wheels should remain on the surface.

• When a child is working seated on a scooter, he/she could fall back and bump his/her head. If the child has poor balance or coordination, remain behind the child to assist with balance or use a helmet.

• Ensure that loose clothing or hair is secured and cannot get under/in the wheels.

• Remind the child to keep his/her fingers away from wheels. Hands and fingers should be on the top of scooter, on handles, holding a rope/pull or in another safe location to avoid being pinched by rotating wheels

• Control the rate of speed. Young children and those with delayed development need slower speeds than older, more coordinated children

• Assess the area. Smooth surfaces work best. Avoid surfaces with bumps and ruts which could cause the scooter to topple or bump the child off.

• Monitor play when more than children are pushing or pulling other children.

Strengthening Activities for Legs and Feet

• Walk up and down hills/inclines

• Climb the stairs whenever possible

• Practice marching: lift knees high while walking

• Outdoor Activities that improve leg and foot strength

  • bicycle riding

  • hiking

  • climbing equipment at playground

  • running

  • pumping a swing

  • walking

• Squat down slowly to pick up objects off the floor and stand back up slowly

• Play with toys for short periods of time while:

  • kneeling tall on both knees (keep bottom off feet!)

  • kneeling with one knee up, foot flat on floor and one knee down

• Practice walking on different surfaces without shoes on to improve foot strength (i.e. sand and uneven terrain like grass and gravel,etc.)

• Practice walking on tip toes

• Practice walking on heels

Dr. Steve Maraboli