Balance
The ability to remain upright when moving the entire body or shifting weight to move and reach for needed items throughout the day. Static balance is the ability to hold the body in a specific position while dynamic balance is the ability to maintain balance while the body is in motion.
HOW IT IMPACTS SCHOOL FUNCTION:
- Sitting in classroom chairs and maintaining balance and control
- Walking in a line of students
- Carrying tray during lunch
- Managing a heavy backpack
- Participating in recess activities especially navigating playground equipment
- Focus on instructional activities
- Outside clothing dressing and undressing for recess
- Standing still and maintaining body control in lines
- Endurance for the school day
Static Balance vs. Dynamic Balance
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- Practice standing with feet slightly apart: raise one foot off the ground
to balance on the other
- Start with one hand on support and then gradually take the hand away
to balance without support
- Progress to standing longer times
and then try with eyes closed
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- Place stickers or pieces of tape on the toe of the child's shoes
- Have them raise their foot up and take one piece off at a time without losing their balance or holding onto support
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- Practice putting on/taking off shoes/boots/socks etc while
standing up
- Start by leaning against the wall and then progress to less support
- Make sure to stand close to the child to help them with their balance
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- Stand barefoot and have the child pick up small objects (packing peanuts work great) with their toes and place them in a bucket or your hand
- You can vary this activity by having them do this while leaning against the wall or even sitting initially
- Then progress to standing
- You can also challenge them by changing how far they reach to place the object into the bucket. Ie: raise the bucket or move it around
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- Try a rocker board from a therapy room
- Have the child stand (feet a few inches apart) on this to do tabletop activities
- Make sure they have a hand on the table initially for support and an adult nearby for safety until you’re sure they are fairly stable
- Use the rocker board with side to side movement initially and then try forward/backward
- Encourage them to shift their weight side to side or backward/forward
- You can have them reach for puzzle pieces, etc to encourage this weight shift and balance challenge
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- Have the child stand with one foot on a ball and roll it back and forth, forward/backward, slowly
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- Practice walking along a balance beam, tape line or curb
- You can place numbers/letters etc on one end and walk to the other side to write them, etc.
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- Stepping stones
- Have the child walk across stepping stones, small steps, or other small toys/shapes that challenge their balance
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- Uneven surfaces
- Walk up hills outside, up/down curb or small stepstool, carpet to/from linoleum, wood chips, sand or pebbles outside on playground, and uneven grass
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- Climbing
- Practice playground equipment such as the climbing wall, climbing ladders, balance beams and activities outside on the playground
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- Obstacle course
- Create a simple obstacle course with items to step up onto, jump down from, crawl through or over, crawl under, jump over, walk a line or beam, etc.
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- Bosu Ball
- This is a half ball which is great to stand with one foot on to complete learning tasks, games or read while balancing
- The child could stand with one foot up on it, stand with both feet up on the bosu ball or march up/down from it
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- March/step over different size heights using cube chairs, small step stools, wooden boxes, etc., that students can step up and down from
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