Running, jumping and climbing are great ways for your child to improve her gross motor skills.
Developing gross motor skills in children is important so they feel comfortable with their bodies when they're doing physical activities. These skills involve the large muscle groups in the body and include activities such as running, jumping, throwing, catching and balancing. Promoting these skills can improve your child's physical fitness and help her feel confident as she learns sports as she gets older.
Instructions
1. Make sure your child has plenty of time to play outdoors. Make sure he is running, jumping, climbing and even doing chores such as gardening and raking leaves. This might sound obvious, but many children don't get much time for outdoor free play and this is one of the best ways for children to improve their gross motor skills.
2. Play with a large beach ball with your child. Practice throwing and catching it. Hit the beach ball with a toy bat or golf club. Kick or throw it at a target or through a hoop. Gradually try these exercises with smaller balls to improve your child's coordination.
3. Ride a bicycle with your child. Practice in a schoolyard on the weekend so she has lots of room to try stopping and starting, turning both ways or riding along a straight or circular painted line.
4. Do balance exercises with your child, such as standing on one leg for as long as possible, or walking toe to heel along a painted line or a curb. Exercise classes such as yoga are another way to improve your child's balance, and many cities offer classes targeted at children.
5. Ask your child to imitate the movement of different animals, such as horses or frogs. Or walk in front of him doing a variety of jumps, skips and movements and ask him to copy you. This can help him become aware of what different parts of his body can do at the same time.
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