Gross motor skills involve the coordination of large, strong muscle groups such as the arms, legs, and trunk. This skill helps the baby perform activities that require a lot of strength such as sitting up, rolling, crawling, crawling, turning, walking, standing, kicking, climbing... From there, the baby gets the best physical development. cardiovascular health, height and cognition. Furthermore, when children master gross motor skills, the body will build a neural network in the brain to help children develop fine motor skills effectively.
So how to enhance gross motor skills for infants and young children? Parents can immediately refer to the following simple activities that can be applied right at home.
Train your baby to lie on his stomach
This is one of the first activities to help practice gross motor skills for infants. Parents can place their children face down on the play mat. This activity helps children strengthen their shoulder and neck muscles, improving mobility when moving or lifting their head. Besides, the games and sounds integrated on the playmat also help stimulate curiosity and develop children's early intelligence.
Ball rolling activity
This gross motor skills activity is suitable for children 4-9 months. Parents need to prepare a colorful ball and let the baby sit. Then roll the ball toward your baby for him or her to catch. Do the activity a few times and encourage your baby to roll the ball toward you. This way, children will strengthen their lower body muscles, mobility, and hand-eye coordination.
Play with block toys
Block toys are a favorite toy for children 6 months and older. Parents can use blocks to build a tower to attract children to move. Or play with your child to find blocks to place in the corresponding position on the box. These activities not only help children develop gross motor skills but also train their senses, enhance fine motor skills and think effectively.
Let children practice walking
Parents encourage children to hold on to household objects to practice walking. If possible, parents should buy a walker to create excitement for their baby. Currently on the market there are many walkers that are beautifully designed, safe and suitable for the baby's age. With a convenient design, integrated with many attractive games, children can play while developing comprehensively physically and intellectually.
Put toys in the basket
When children start to sit up, parents can let them participate in the activity of putting toys in the basket. Specifically, parents use a basket and ask the baby to put his or her toys in it. During play, parents can also introduce the characteristics and colors of this toy to help the baby develop thinking.
Take your "pet" for a walk
For toddlers, parents can use stuffed animal friends or their favorite toys and tie them on a string to take them for a walk. This activity encourages children to exercise actively and develop effectively physically.
Cross the tunnel
This is also an interesting activity to help your baby practice gross motor skills effectively at home. Parents use a blanket and household items such as tables and chairs to create a tunnel. Then, the parents sit on the other side of the tunnel and encourage the child to cross the tunnel to the finish line. Parents can also use their baby's favorite toys to place inside to create excitement for their baby.
Above are suggestions for simple but interesting gross motor skills training activities for your baby. If your baby takes longer to develop this skill, parents should not worry too much. Because each child's development rate is different, children will learn and develop in their own way. Please regularly follow Mykingdom's " Handbook " section to see many other useful articles for parents.
