Balance Activity Ideas
Balance activity ideas – good balance is the ability to adjust and control our body movements for daily activities such as:
- walking
- sitting
- dressing/undressing
- hopping
- skipping
- riding a bicycle
We develop our balance skills from a very early age:
- head control
- ability to adjust our movements
- moving against gravity
It is also important to develop good muscle strength to aid core stability, sensory awareness and movement reactions. If a child has poor balance, they will fear balancing on items off the ground.
Try some of these balance activity ideas –
- walking in a straight line, heel to toe (and backwards). Once more accomplished, try with a beanbag on the head and even with their eyes closed
- kneel on all fours and stay still whilst you try to move them
- crawling races
- jumping/hopping – hold onto a chair first then reduce contact with the chair once getting confident
- stepping stones – use coloured shapes on the floor (or even hoops). Walk at first then speed up, varying the distance/direction
- ball rolling – roll a ball towards the child and encourage them to stop it by putting their foot onto the top of the ball
- throw/catch – get your child into kneeling and encourage them to catch/throw to you
As your child’s balance improves and they are more confident, you can make the tasks more complex and challenging.
Other ideas to promote good balance are:
- riding a bike
- jumping on the trampoline
- swimming
- horse riding
- dancing
Check out some of our other ideas!
https://www.treetopsoccupationaltherapy.co.uk/help-child-sit-attain-better-school/