Balance and coordination are necessary motor skills that help children manage their body weight and carry out daily tasks efficiently. A child who knows how to retain balance and has proper control over their bodily movements finds it easier to learn new sports activities, dance, and other such tasks. Balance also involves the ability to stay stationary and hold a position with control and stability.
Coordination on the other hand is maintaining harmony among all the functional body parts to carry out complex tasks. This may include using a specific body part actively while keeping the other ones at rest. It may also include making hands and legs work in cohesion to get the desired result. Hand-to-eye coordination while performing artistic tasks, such as painting and drawing is another such example of coordination.
These skills can be built and strengthened through the aid of many creative activities that include play to keep a child engaged.
Here is a list of some interesting balance games and activities that can help children improve their motor skills while keeping them engaged.
Playing catching games with a softball can help a child work on their hand-to-eye coordination skills. Initially, you may keep it a bit simple by throwing the ball in a single direction for your child to catch easily. Then you can make it a bit complex by throwing the ball in different directions that may also require your child to move from one place to the other while trying to catch the ball. During this time, the kid will also have to retain their balance and manage body weight to avoid falling on the ground. For a better sensory experience, you may also use a sensory therapy gym ball.
An obstacle course is a setup that consists of multiple challenges that a child has to overcome through their physical agility and problem-solving skills. Generally, there are a lot of obstacle parks that parents and kids may go to. However, an obstacle course can also be built at home with some creative thinking and props. You may set up hula hoops in a line and encourage your child to jump from one to the other without overstepping the boundary. This will help them manage their body weight effectively and retain balance. The next challenge could be stepping over objects of at least half their height. The third challenge could be balancing a spoon in their mouth with a lemon or a small ball kept on the top. You may keep increasing the difficulty level as per your child's ability.
If you want to work on your child's ability to manage their body weight effectively, then stepping stone is a doable activity at home. It requires a child to balance their weight and not fall off from the small stone or object on which they have to stand. It also requires a child to continuously devise a strategy to step from one stone to the other without hurting themselves. If a child loses their balance, they will instantly fall off. Parents can easily make this game at home by randomly arranging some stones and asking the child to step from one to the other.
If your child is a fan of adventures and pirate fantasies, then this game is something that they might love. To play this game, you would need a big bouncy ball that the child can easily lean on. Make your child place their torso on the top of the ball and balance their whole body without falling off. Now ask them to pretend like they're on a pirate ship and do a walking plank while balancing their weight on the top of the ball. Try to provide some assistance to make sure that no one gets hurt. The game may help the child develop core strength and improve their bodily coordination.
Hopscotch is an easy-to-play and extremely fun game. One only needs chalk to draw a hopscotch pattern and a small piece of stone to play this game. The activity focuses on managing one's weight while also understanding where to step and where to step. It is highly engaging as it requires a child to be continuously attentive to complete the game. The child has to jump on one leg, which may also enhance their leg muscle strength. Continuous bending and standing up may help in refining their motor skills and bodily coordination.
Skateboard is like a wooden plank with wheels attached to it. It requires the child to manage their body weight to ensure a smooth moment. The child has to continuously engage in shifting their body weights to turn the skateboard in various directions or to stop it.
Parents may introduce this to the child to help them improve their body coordination and weight management. Initially, some simple sitting games on a skateboard can be introduced. The child will slowly learn how to push the skateboard and stop it while striking a body balance. Indulging in such balance-retaining activities may improve their ability to coordinate and focus.
Teaching kids motor skills through the aid of activities can be a practical way of imparting the skills of balance and coordination. This can also help the child break out of their shell and experience various activities that are engaging and also promote group interactions.