Gross Motor Skills: What You Need to Know Plus Building Gross Motor Skills at Home
What Are Gross Motor Skills?
We use gross motor skills to do everyday things that involve our large muscles, from exercising to raking leaves. Most people use these skills easily and automatically. But gross motor skills are more complex than you might think. These skills involve the coordination of the muscles and the neurological system. They impact balance and coordination. They also form the basis for
fine motor skills
that help us make small movements. Gross motor skills are related to other abilities.
These include:
- Balance
- Coordination
- Body awareness
- Physical strength
- Reaction time
All these abilities help kids participate successfully in activities at school, at home and in the community. Imagine what gym class, recess or playdates are like for a child with weak gross motor skills. These challenges can impact a child’s
self-esteem
and social life.
Trouble with Gross Motor Skills
Kids achieve different
gross motor milestones
over time. For instance, at age 3 or 4, kids are typically able to jump with two feet. By 7 or 8, they can typically ride a bike without training wheels.
If your child regularly misses these milestones or seems to struggle with motor activities for a long time, Talk to your child’s doctor if you have concerns about your child’s motor skills or
you may contact Options for Learning Full Day Preschool office at, (626) 858-0527. A Disability Coordinator will reach out to you with more information.
Building Gross Motor Skills at Home
1.
Hopscotch
Hopping and jumping require strong gross motor skills, balance and coordination. Hopscotch is a simple way to practice those skills. (As a bonus, it can help practice number skills, too!) If you don’t have a sidewalk to draw on or a playground nearby, you can set up
hallway hopscotch
using painter’s tape.
2.
Playground Play
Playing on the playground can have
many benefits for kids
. Swinging on a swing set can help kids develop balance. It also helps them learn how to coordinate shifting their weight and moving their legs back and forth. You may also want to encourage your child to use “unstable” playground equipment like rope ladders and wobble bridges. While they can be scary before kids get used to them, they help work trunk muscles.
3.
Balloon and Bubble Play
Balloons and bubbles are a unique way to build gross motor skills because you can’t predict where they’re going to go. Kids can chase bubbles and try to pop as many as possible. While chasing them, they have to run, jump, zigzag and move in ways that require sudden shifts in balance and weight. The same goes for throwing and trying to catch or kick balloons. For more structured play, you can set up a game of
balloon volleyball
.
4.
Tricycles, Scooters and Pedal Cars
Some kids who struggle with gross motor skills may learn to ride a trike or bike later than their peers. But there are alternatives they can use to get places and practice balance. Some tricycles come with handles so you can push while your child practices pedaling. Or you could invest in a sturdy scooter or a pedal car. They’re all stepping stones to riding a bike. Once your child gets the hang of it, you can even set up an obstacle course or draw a track with chalk. (Just don’t forget the helmet!)
5.
Dancing
Whether it’s a dance class or an
indoor dance party
, dancing is good gross motor practice. It helps kids develop balance, coordination and motor sequencing skills. It also helps build your child’s awareness of rhythm. For little kids, try using songs with lyrics that add movement, like “I’m a Little Teapot” or “The Hokey Pokey.”
6.
Obstacle Courses
Obstacle courses get kids moving and give them a goal to accomplish. For an indoor course, use furniture, pillows and blankets to create areas to crawl on, under and through. Outdoors, you can use things like hula-hoops to jump in and out of, jumping jacks, belly crawling, bear walking and other creative movements that challenge your child to balance, crawl, jump and run.
7.
Trampolines
Using a trampoline is a great activity to improve balance.
Source: https://www.understood.org