Activities and strategies

Core stability helps children with balance, coordination and everyday movement. You can support this by developing these skills through active play.

Choose a few activities each day and keep them fun.

Try hands and knees games

Activities include:

• ball games
• skittles
• Connect 4 or simple board games
• obstacle courses

Kneeling activities

Activities include:

• throwing beanbags at a target
• playing games at a low table
• balloon volleyball

Animal walks

Activities include:

• bear walks
• crab walks
• cat and dog walks
• donkey kicks

Strength and balance activities

Activities include:

• Airplanes: lie on tummy and lift arms, legs and head off the floor
• Bridges: lie on back with knees bent and lift bottom off the floor
• Body wrestling: push or pull against a partner while kneeling
• Swimming: great for overall strength and coordination

Helpful strategies

Try the following strategies.

Break tasks into small steps

Children often learn best when activities are broken down into small parts:

• give one instruction at a time
• use simple, clear language
• gradually add more steps as confidence grows

Visual support

Use visual support such as picture checklists and visual schedules.