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Sneha Gosalia, PT DPT CKTP

Treatment Ideas for Balance

Does your child trip frequently? Have a hard time walking up/down stairs? Difficulty with getting onto a tricycle/ride on toys?

Practice some of our favorite balance exercises to improve your child’s balance, coordination, and motor skills for functional independence!

  1. Single leg balance: Play a game of simon says and incorporate standing on one foot like a flamingo. If this is challenging, let your child hold onto your finger for some support. Try and balance for up to 10 seconds on each leg. Repeat 3 times on each leg.

2. Single leg balance on floor or on balance disc at the couch: As your child is standing and playing at the couch, sit behind them as they play and lift up one leg for 10-15 seconds and switch to the other leg. To make it more challenging, do the same while your child is standing on a balance disc. Repeat for 3 repetitions on each leg.

3. Squats on balance disc: Have your child stand on top of the balance disc, hold one hand or hold onto a support surface (e.g couch, table) and let them squat down to pick up a puzzle piece, stand back up and place it in the puzzle. Perform 10-12 repetitions.

4. Catch/throw a ball while standing on balance disc: Stand on a balance disc while catching/throwing a small soft ball for 10 repetitions. If this is too difficult, challenge your child and see how long he/she can stand on the balance disc ("imaginary boat") without falling off into the imaginary water!

5. Bean bag toss: Place a bean bag on top of your child’s foot, have them lift that leg up without dropping the bean bag and then toss the bean bag into the game. If you don't have this game, you can also toss the bean bag into a bucket or a hoop placed in front of your child. Repeat for 10 repetitions on each foot. Click here to purchase the Melissa & Doug sunny patch beanbag toss game.

6. Step N stones: Place the numbered stepping stones on the floor and step on each one. Then have your child imitate you by stepping on each stone to make a squishy sound. Click here to purchase these numbered step n stones.

7. Hover ball: With a slight kick on the hover ball, it glides across the room making it fun and safe to practice kicking in the comfort of your own home. This is a great way to get your child to balance on one foot while kicking with the other. Click here to purchase the hover ball.

8. Kicking a balloon: Hang a balloon from the ceiling and have your child lift up one foot at a time to kick the balloon. A simple and fun activity for the child to work on their balance. Or you can blow up many balloons and leave them on the ground for your child to kick as many balloons as possible.

9. Alternate Cone Taps: Place 6 cones in a row on the floor and have your child tap the top of each cone with their foot or place a tennis ball/bean bag on top of each cone and have your child try and knock down the tennis ball/bean bag using one foot at a time. Click here to purchase these cones.

10. Walking across pillows: Hold child's hands and walk across a row of pillows placed on the floor. Place a puzzle at one end with the pieces on the opposite end and continue walking across until the puzzle is complete.

Have fun!!!

DISCLAIMER

The content in this blog should not be used in place of medical advice/treatment and is solely for informational purposes. All activities/exercises posted in this blog should be performed with adult supervision, caution, and at your own risk. Big Leaps, LLC is not responsible for any injury while performing an activity/exercise that has been posted on this blog. If you have any information on the content of our blog, feel free to contact us at info@bigleapsct.com.

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