Coordination

Coordination Activities

Before performing any of the following activities, supervision must be provided by a parent or guardian.

All activities must be performed in a safe, clear, environment.

Proper footwear is recommended such as sneakers or socks with grip on the bottom of the foot for traction.

If a child reports pain or discomfort with any exercises, please discontinue the exercise and immediately and follow up with the treating therapist. In case of emergency please contact a medical professional immediately.

Helpful Tools for Coordination Activities

(These are not necessary but may serve as a visual helpful tool)

• Place markers for the floor such as a hula hoop, paper plate, place mat, etc.

• Painters tape, rope/string

• Colored stickers

• Sidewalk Chalk

• Mirror

Jumping Jacks

(Feet Only)

1. Start by standing with feet together and hands on hips or at sides.

   1. This can be on a paper plate, a single line of tape, inside a hula hoop, etc.

2. Jump feet into an opened position with hands remaining on hips or at sides..

   1. Jump feet off the paper plate to its sides, to different colored tape, outside of hula hoop, etc.

3. Return feet to starting point by jumping feet into a closed position

Repeat __5-15 times_____

Review this activity.

1. Was this activity too hard?

   1. Provide visual demonstration and verbal cues of “open/close”, “big feet/little feet”, etc. Whatever works for your child.

2. Was this activity too easy?

   1. Proceed to next activity below .

Jumping Jacks

(Feet and Hands)

1. Start by standing with feet together and hands at sides.

   1. This can be on a paper plate, a single line of tape, inside a hula hoop, etc.

2. Jump feet into an opened position while hands raise simultaneously from the sides to an overhead position.

   1. Jump feet off the paper plate to its sides, to different colored tape, outside of hula hoop, etc.

3. Return feet to the starting position by jumping the feet closed while the arms simultaneously lower to sides.

Repeat __5-20_____ times.

Review this activity.

1. Was this activity too hard?

   1. Provide visual demonstration and verbal cues of “open/close”, “star/pencil”, “big/little” etc. Whatever works for your child.

BRAIN GYM EXERCISES

(Standing Cross Crawls)

Video: http://youtu.be/iPQKcTuHsfg

1. Start with your feet apart and your arms open parallel to the ground.

2. Shift your weight to your right foot, lift your left knee, and touch it with your right hand.

3. Step back to both feet

4. Shift weight onto your left foot, lift your right knee, and touch it with your left hand

** This is helpful to use colored stickers:

• Put a red sticker on the left hand and the right knee.

• Put a blue sticker on the right hand and the left knee.

Repeat __5-10___times

Review this activity.

1. Was this activity too hard?

   1. Slow it down! Provide visual demonstration as a mirror and verbal cues of the color of the sticker that you want to match hand and knee.

   2. Still too hard?- Sit on the floor with legs spread apart. Match right hand to left knee and left hand to right knee. This takes out the balancing on one foot portion.

2. Was this activity too easy?

   1. Speed it up.

   2. Do it with eyes closed.

   3. Use elbow to knee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6jiONDwANM

   4. Use hand to foot

(Slides)

1. Start with body sideways and shoulders aligned with a line of tape on the floor.

2. Step sideways with the lead foot followed by sliding the trailing foot to meet next to the lead foot

3. Continue by stepping sideways again with the lead food and meeting it with the trailing foot.

   1. Do not allow feet to cross over each other.

Repeat ____5-10___ times to the left & ___5-10____ times to the right.

Review this activity.

1. Was this activity too hard?

   1. Slow it down! Provide visual demonstration as a mirror.

   2. Hold hands or hold your child at the hips to prevent them from facing forward. It is important to keep their toes facing the line or facing your toes.

   3. Too easy? See skill below

(Gallop) - an exaggerated slide step composed of a step and leap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GmQ868ArAw

1. Start by choosing a lead leg.

2. Lift and thrust/spring the lead leg forward to support the body's weight.

3. Quickly bring the rear/trailing foot close to the lead foot to replace it as the same lead leg thrusts/springs forward again.

4. Continue springing the lead foot forward and replacing it with the trail leg

   1. Do not allow legs/feet to cross over each other.

Repeat ___5-10____ times with the left leading & __5-10_____ times with the right leading.

Review this activity.

1. Was this activity too hard?

   1. Slow it down! Provide visual demonstration and return to slides until that is mastered.

   2. Hold hands or hold your child at the hips.

   3. Too easy? See skill below

(Skip) - 5 years old+(Basic motions are a step, hop, step, hop)

Start by stepping forward with one foot & hop on that same leg.

Push off the ball of the trailing foot to step forward in front of the lead leg.

Hop on the new lead leg side.

Continue stepping forward to become the lead foot, followed by a hop on that side.

Repeat for ___5-10____ repetitions or forward for ___10-15__ feet.

Review this activity.

1. Was this activity too hard?

   1. Slow it down! Provide visual demonstration and verbal cues to “step & hop”

2. Was this activity too easy?

   1. Try skipping backwards.

(Hopscotch)

Hopscotch is a great activity to assist your child in maneuvering from a double leg stance into a single leg stance. This will also promote jumping, hopping, throwing, and deep squatting down to pick up the object used to throw.

Directions:

1. Draw a hopscotch design on the ground. You can do a 1-2-1 pattern all the way to 10 or be creative with your design. This can also be done indoors with paper plates or hula hoops.

2. Throw a flat stone or similar object (small beanbag, shell, button, plastic toy) to land on square, plate, or hula hoop.

3. Hop through the squares, skipping the one you have your marker on.

4. Pick up the marker on your way back

5. Pass the marker on to the next person.

Play for ___5-10___ minutes or for __5-10__ successful executions.