Physical Therapy
December 2021
Hello Everyone,
Happy Holidays to you all. We hope this physical therapy newsletter finds you all healthy and excited to continue working on some gross motor skills.
Our newsletter is broken down into 5 focus parts: 1) Dance/Movement Video
2) Gross motor skill 3) Exercise 4) Stretch 5) Position. These are general activities as we are attempting to reach all of our families.
As always, if you have specific questions regarding your child, or your program, contact us at any time by email. Encourage your families to join in on the fun!
Amanda Peters, PT apeters@caiu.org and Sue Drda, PT sdrda@caiu.org.
Take care and be well,
Ms. Amanda and Ms. Sue
Gross Motor Skill
THROWING AND CATCHING A BALL
Children love throwing and catching balls! As with other gross motor skills, there are many benefits to practicing with your child. Benefits include developing:
· Eye-hand coordination
· Coordination of the two sides of the body
· Body and spatial awareness
· Strength
· Speed and agility
· Confidence in motor abilities
· Foundational skills for future recreational activities
The following are suggestions for teaching ball skills:
1. Throwing and catching (trapping) a large ball
a) Start with a lightweight large ball. Teach your child the “ready position” to catch a ball (arms waist high, out in front of her body, and a little bit apart). Stand very close to your child and ask her to look at the ball. Ask, “Ready?” to make sure that you have her attention. Then say, ‘Ready, set, catch” and gently toss the ball into her arms. Children start out by trapping the ball with their arms against their body. If your child cannot hold onto the ball, start by placing the ball into her arms. Another strategy is for a second person to stand behind her to assist her at her elbows.
2. Throwing a small ball overhand: Show your child how to hold the ball or bean bag in one hand at her shoulder. Provide a target or person at eye level 2-3’ away to help him/her to aim. As they get better at this, move farther away. Also try providing a box or laundry basket and asking him/her to throw the bean bag into the basket.
3. Catching a large ball:
a) To teach your child to catch a large ball with her hands (instead of trapping it), the ready position is different. Her arms should be in front of her chest with the palms of her hands facing each other (clapping position) and slightly farther apart than the width of the ball. You may want to bounce the ball to her instead of tossing it so that it arrives slightly in front of her body and she must reach with her hands. Show her how to catch the ball in her hands without letting it touch her clothes.
b) Teach her two different ways for throwing the ball back to you: tossing it and bouncing it.
4. Catching a small ball:
a) Catching a small ball or bean bag requires more eye-hand coordination than catching a large ball. Your child will need to learn to shape her hands more closely together in the ready position and to move her arms to meet the ball.
b) One way to start is to give your child a bean bag and ask her to toss it up into the air an inch or two and then catch it herself. Demonstrate this. When she can catch it, encourage her to toss it up slightly higher.
5. Throwing a small ball underhand: Demonstrate how to hold a small ball or beanbag in your hand with the palm facing forward, arm down at your side, and elbow straight. Begin by tossing a bean bag a short distance into a bin or basket. Then try tossing it underhand to another person.
FUN ACTIVITIES
v Throw balls at targets overhand and into containers underhand.
v Throw bean bags at a springy surface so that they bounce back to you.
v Play catch in tall kneeling (hips extended) and in half kneeling (one foot in front)---great for strengthening!!!
v Throw balls into low basketball nets
v Throw bean bags through a vertical hula hoop (another child can hold the hoop).
Exercise-CORE STRENGTH-Ball kicks
Have your child lie on the floor with their arms at their sides. The wider the arms, the better body stability.
Next, have your child lift up both legs and bend their knees, but with the feet up. "Legs up"
Stand about 4 feet from your child's feet and face them. Take a large ball or therapy ball and tell your child to get "ready". On the count of three, throw the ball to your child's feet and have them push it away back to you.
Repeat this two sets of 15 or as many as you think your child can tolerate.
Stretch - Side stretch over a ball, foam roller or pillow
modified side stretch
side stretch over roll
side lying with pillows to position
Side lying stretch over a ball, foam roller or pillow
- Place your feet against a wall and lie on your side over a therapy ball. Put your arm on the floor to stabilize yourself. Or kneel at a therapy ball and lie over the ball on your side.
- Keep your body straight and side bend over the ball. Bring your other arm up over your head
- Feel the stretch in your trunk-ribs and under your arm.
- Hold for 30 seconds, repeat 4 times and change sides-repeat.
Position - Sitting statically on a pillow or therapy ball
Ball Sitting
Provide input to activate postural muscles
Dynamic sitting, means postural muscles are more active throughout the duration of the activity. Goals may include:
Provide sensory input
Work on strengthening postural muscles
Improve attention and focus
Must have adequate sitting balance, postural responses, and control before attempting, with the direction and guidance of your child’s physical therapist
Development of this skill: begins with a wide base of support (feet apart), which narrows as strength, balance, and postural reactions improve. Long term goal is to sit with a narrow base of support (feet close together).
Wide base of support Narrow base of support
(feet apart) (feet close together)
See the videos below for some examples.
As always, please do this activity, only if it is safe you and your child. Contact your therapist for specific questions.
Ms. Amanda Peters, DPT, Certified MDT
Email: apeters@caiu.org
Ms. Suzanne Drda, PT, DPT
Email: sdrda@caiu.org