Balance and Coordination
What is it?
Balance is the ability to maintain a controlled body position during a task. Balance is necessary for all activities of daily living. From sitting at a table to stepping up on a curb, to function safely in society, we need the ability to maintain a controlled body position. This is important because it allows a child to participate in physical skills such as walking and sitting or even playing a sport. With good balance and coordination, the likelihood of injury during play is minimized.
What do you need to develop balance and coordination?
- Attention and concentration: the ability to sustain attention to a specific task for a period of time
- Body awareness: knowing the parts of the body and how they move through space in relation to other objects
- Bilateral integration: utilizing both hands simultaneously
- Crossing mid-line: the ability to cross over the center of the body with both hands
- Hand-eye coordination: ability to process information from the eyes to control the hands in a given task
- Muscular strength: muscles ability to exert force
- Postural control: ability to stabilize the trunk and coordinate the limbs
- Sensory processing: accurate processing of sensory stimulation the environment provides
What are the symptoms of poor balance and coordination?
- Easily falling
- Lacking fluid body movement (robotic-like movements)
- Slower than peers to complete physical skills like swimming or riding bikes
- Fearful of physical games
- Scared of heights that do not phase most people
- Difficulty getting dressed while standing
- Bumping into things in the environment
- Easily fatiguing during physical activity
Balance and Motor Planning Development for 2-8 years old:
2-3 years old:
- Jumps 8-14 inches
- Jumps from bottom step
- Catches a large ball using body to help
- Walks downstairs alone
- Walks upstairs with support
- Climbs well
- Runs well
- Pedals tricycle
- Initiates 1 foot standing
- Walks backwards for about 10 feet
- Walks on toes
- Jumps sideways, backwards and over a 2-8 inch hurdle
- Hops on 1 foot
- Stands on 1 foot for 1-5 seconds
- Climbs playground equipment
3-4 years old:
- Gallops
- Hops on one foot
- Walks on a line
- Stands on one foot
- Jumps down from 12 inches with feet together
- Walks up and down stairs alternating feet without rail
4-5 years old:
- Stands on one food for 8-10 seconds
- Skips
- Throws a ball to target
- Hops 5+times on one foot
- Begins jumping role
- Pumps a swing
- Walks balance beam forward and backward
- Somersaults
5-8 years old:
- Stands on one foot for 10+ seconds
- Catches a small ball with hands only
- Jumps over an object landing with feet together
- Walks tandem on a line
- Walks backwards heel to toe
- Walks balance beam
- Uses opposite step and throw to throw a small ball
- Uses jump rope
- Rides bike without training wheels
- Skips well
- Kicks a soccer ball with fair control/accuracy
