Balance and Coordination

Balance and coordination are important skills to develop in small children and are necessary for future strength and endurance.  Balance helps children to gain both confidence and gross motor skills.  Some ways to build balance and gross motor coordination are through various activities and playtime.  Wood Designs offers a versatile unit called the Rock-A-Boat.  This item is tip proof and excellent at encouraging fun time and development.  On one side the unit is a rowboat that children sit inside to rock back and forth.  Simply flip the boat over, and a set of inviting steps appear.  Also available is the balance beam.  This is a simple, but classic maple beam that invites kids to walk across it.  Both products help to develop balance and coordination in kids.

There are other ways to incorporate coordination training in small children.  Jumping rope, hopscotch, and playing with balls are great ways to work on coordination while still having fun.  Wooden blocks (such as the variety provided by Wood Designs) are another excellent way to develop coordination skills.  Playing with finger puppets, creating art projects, and lacing shoes are all excellent ways to develop control and motor skills in the fingers of young children.

So be creative and have fun, but also remember these skills are crucial in furthering physical and mental development in children.  Your kids can have a blast and not even realize they are learning! Win-win!