Make it hard: stand on a throw down spot which the child cannot move from. This will develop balance whilst improving hand-eye coordination. In pairs, children must balance rubber quoits on their head whilst throwing and catching a beanbag between each other. Play individually to begin and involve more children to increase the challenge.
What will you need? Throw down spots, cones, stopwatch. Involve more children and create group games to increase the challenge. Games Use a stopwatch to record times of how long children can hold their balance and encourage them to improve them to new personal bests. Make it easier: Use 4 spots to balance on hands and knees. Make it harder: use 2 spots to balance 2 hands and 2 feet on one spot. Make it hard: move spots further apart and in different patterns. The spots can be moved in different shapes to make the challenge more difficult. Use 4 coloured throw down spots to balance on hands and feet. Play in pairs or teams of 3 and alternate thrower and catcher roles. What will you need? Throw down spots, beanbags, stopwatch. Games Use a stopwatch to record times and encourage children to improve them to achieve a new personal best. Make it easier: balancing on one leg whilst the other leg is on a chair or ball. Make it harder: balancing on one leg whilst playing catch with a beanbag. Make it hard: balancing on one leg whilst also balancing a beanbag on head. This will give children a clear marker to stand on and stay within whilst developing the basics of balance. Here are some engaging games to improve balance…īalancing on one leg whilst stood on a throw down spot. Playing balancing games can be engaging for children as well as providing the foundations of a healthy and active lifestyle.
Balance is an essential part of child development and children must learn to balance before they can progress to higher level gross motor skills such as cycling, hopping, galloping or skipping. This could be sitting, standing, walking or running. Children must learn to stand before they can walk, and walk before they can run!īalance is the ability to hold your body upright and steady without falling down.