KITS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO DEVELOP GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
What are Gross Motor Skills?
Gross motor skills are all the movements and things we do with our whole body. The larger, coordinated, balanced and more physical actions that we use everyday, from walking and running, dressing, showering and toileting, to playing, climbing, sports or riding a bike. They are the ability to smoothly complete movements in the space around us without crashing into things or others. Gross motor skills are the ability to coordinate the hands and the eyes together, move objects across the midline of the body or apply force and strength. They are also essential for kicking and catching, as well as many other sports like swimming, dancing or martial arts.
Why are they important?
Gross motor skills are important abilities that can help someone be independent in their life. If a person has difficulty with their gross motor skills, it may be observed in clumsiness, low body awareness, low strength or endurance or a reluctance to participate in activities requiring whole body coordination. They may need more assistance from others in planning and organising their movements through coaching or modelling. They may need activities changed or modified while they are developing their strength and coordination.
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There is nothing wrong with developing interests and preferences in activities and hobbies that don’t require gross motor skills, but movement is essential for our health and wellbeing, so facilitating opportunities that match and support our children's movement abilities is important. It is through participating in activities that do match our child’s abilities where they can make the next steps in gross motor development.
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The gross motor skills that children develop are the ability to walk and navigate the school environment, through busy hallways or up and down stairs, participate in sport lessons, dress themselves or participate in outdoor/playground play, climbing, swinging, crawling and sliding. Developing the ability to ride a scooter or bike is a complex gross motor skill, which requires many foundational elements, such as balance, strength, coordination and spatial awareness. Difficulty coordinating the larger movements of the body can impact a child’s participation in social activities, where it may be frustrating for them to keep up with peers. They may eventually avoid engaging in them or it may impact their sense of self and ability.
How Let’s OT kits improve gross motor skills?
We have designed a range of kits that specifically develop or build on the development of gross motor skills. They are playful, relatable and active, engaging the kids purposefully, and use their familiarity and interest in animals or movies to support them.
Gross motor skills usually involve many smaller steps and a summation of movements in order to complete the skill. For many kids, one or more of these smaller steps, e.g. body positioning, timing, grip, aiming etc, may be challenging or still developing, resulting in a clumsy, uncoordinated or inaccurate movement. To support these kids to enhance their skills, our home therapy kids specifically break down the movements into smaller, achievable steps or actions, using guidance and coaching from the OT in the video tutorial. You will be able to learn the language, adaptations and modifications OTs use when assisting children participate and develop their larger movement skills.
Visuals on the activity cards also assist your child by presenting an example of the movement to help with their motor planning. With more understanding of what the movement may look like, it can support a child to prepare and position their body.
We know that everyone learns at different speeds, which is why the video tutorials are designed in a format that can be paused and revisited as often as needed. Even for parents to review the tips and strategies!
CAN I USE MY NDIS FUNDING?
Yes! NDIS funding is accepted! Depending on your NDIS Plan and Goals, you can use either your Capacity Building: Improved Daily Living Budget or Core Budget.
CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR FREE RESOURCES TO BUILD GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
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