Using a therapy or exercise ball at home with your child can greatly contribute to your child’s success as it provides an extra pair of hands that help your child have greater control over their movements! The ideas below can help your child with muscle strength, using their muscles in a controlled manner, sensory processing and balance control. Activities (Please consult with your therapist to find out which are best for your child):
• Allow your child to lay on their stomach over the ball and roll forward, back and side to side while playing a board game.
• Help your child to lie on their back over the ball and reach to the floor with their hands over their head.
• Have your child rest with their back against the ball with their feet on the floor.
• Have your child sit on the ball with a straight back and feet on the floor and throw a medium sized ball overhead to you or the wall.
• Have your child sit on the ball at the dinner table with feet on the floor to allow your child a sense of movement while staying seated.
• Have your child perform the above exercises while playing board games, watching television, reading, doing homework or while throwing/catching/rolling a ball.
• Some classrooms will allow your child to sit on a ball while doing class work as it can help your child have a sense of movement while staying seated.
Tip: Small children or children who are very involved will do better on a large ball as this provides a larger surface area and they don’t have to work so hard against gravity. If the child has milder problems a smaller ball will be more of a challenge.