These days, children are expected to sit for hours on end in classrooms listening, focusing, and completing tasks. However, sitting for long periods of time requires strong core muscles to hold a child’s body up straight. When a child’s core is not as strong, they may begin to lean, slouch, or bend, which can make it much more difficult to pay attention and do work.
Therefore, OT’s are able to support children to work on their core strength to increase their ability to succeed in school. So let’s discuss some of the activities that we may practice in OT (that you can also practice with your child at home!)...
Crab walks
Walking like a crab with your tummy facing the sky and keeping your bottom off of the ground is a great way to build core strength. Having a crab walking race with your child or playing crab walking soccer is a great way to ensure that they are having fun while also building core strength!
Superman holds
Superman holds are done by having your child lay on their stomach and then they have to lift their arms and legs upwards and hold that position for as long as possible. This exercise can be very tricky to hold, however, many children are very engaged when they are told to be as strong as superman.
Inchworm walks
Inchworm walks are a great way to build strength while playing! These work by walking your hands away from your feet, then feet to hands, and so on while facing downwards. Having an inchworm race can be a fun way to engage children in building their core strength as well.
Sit-up basketball
Give your child a small ball or beanbag with a bucket or just your arms in the shape of a “basketball hoop”. Then have them complete sit-ups to “power up” the ball prior to throwing it into the basket. This engages children in an activity that may generally seem challenging, but overtime becomes easier. For an extra challenge, try holding your child’s feet down during this exercise so they really feel it in their core!