Home Instruction Resources

Physical Therapy Grades K - 3

Week 1

Gross Motor Activites

• Create an obstacle course with things in the house (blankets, pillows, couch cushions) to walk on, over, around. Include some crawling and going under (chair, table).
  
  
• Go for a walk. Try to increase the amount of time you can walk before stopping as you can.
  
  
• Play follow the leader through the house or outside using different motions (walk forward/backwards/sideways, crawl, jump, march). Let your child be the leader and choose which motion to do next.
  
  
• Use wood, tape, string, paper, etc. to make a balance beam inside; either a single line to walk on or two lines spaced apart that you can walk between. Make your lines change direction or make them into shapes. Outside you can use sticks, sidewalk chalk, or a curb (in a spot deemed safe by and adult).
  
  
• Do some yoga- see the attached yoga pages for some poses. You can also try cosmickids.com for yoga stories to follow along.
  
  
• Have a dance party – dance to music you enjoy. Try my favorite Jim Gill – you can find his music for free on YouTube or Pandora
  
  
• Roll around – make your body straight (“like a pencil”) and try to roll across the floor
  
  
• Push/pull/carry – fill a cardboard box or laundry basket with blankets/soft toys and push it across the floor. Practice walking carrying lighter baskets or toys with two hands
  
  
• Play ball! – you can use any size ball, balloon, or crumpled up newspaper
  • Sit on the floor and roll a ball back and forth
  • Have a catch; increase your distance as you can
  • Throw to a target- tape a paper to the wall, throw into a box/laundry basket/bag
  • Kick the ball to each other or into a “goal”
  • Trap a playground sized ball by placing one foot on top to stop it before you kick it
    
    
• Jumping games – chose the one that is fun for you
  • Hold hands and jump on the floor, a pillow placed on the floor, on bubble wrap tapes to the floor. If your child is not yet jumping you can hold hands, squat down together, and straighten up into standing. You can also support your child at their trunk and help them jump
  • Jumping forward – use a visual target to jump towards; increase your distance/ do several jumps in a row
  • Jumping over- start with a line on your floor, tape, or string and try to jump over. Progress to jumping over something higher (rolled up towel, string tied between two chairs)
  • Jumping down – jump down from a couch cushion placed on the floor, from a small step, etc
  • Hopscotch – make a board with tape, paper plates, outdoor sidewalk chalk. Jump feet apart-feet together-feet apart or try jump-hop-jump. Change up the pattern
  • Jumping jacks – practice jumping jacks; model having your feet move apart/together as you clap your hands overhead
    
    

Yoga Poses

Here are some basic yoga poses, try those that look fun and make up your own too. My students love creating their own poses!

Boat

Start sitting on the floor with your legs out straight and your arms behind you supporting your balance. Lift your legs off the floor and then try to lift your arms.

 
Butterfly

Snake

Tree

Start with your feet close together like the girl below, then try to move one leg up the other and balance. Put the foot of one leg below or above the other knee, just not right on the knee joint.

Fish

Dog

It tends to be easier for the kids to get into hands and knees and then push their arms/legs straight to get into this position.

Bird

Start in a knee sitting position, then lift up into the position below.

Elephant

Make a trunk with your arms, swing it high and low, side to side.

Frog

Start in this position and then jump up as high as you can.