Provide physical exercise
Physical exercise is very important for all children. Make sure you have enough space for your child to move. If this is not possible at your home, it may be an option to go outside, to a playground in a park or to the woods. Maybe you can hang a swing or a hammock in your garden or house. This gives a different experience of motion than moving yourself. The child is brought into motion by the swing or hammock, and has to respond to these motions. Most children enjoy these playthings and it is a good way to use your sense of balance, tactile sense, sense of posture and sense of movement.
There are also other devices, like a trampoline, a balancing plate, a slide, that move your child and entice him to use several kinds of sensory stimuli. This enables them to move more purposefully. For example if he does not respond correctly to the swinging motion, the swing will stop or he will fall off. The child experiences the result of his movements immediately and will adjust them instantly. Naturally it is important to make sure it is safe to let your child play on the swing by himself, but it is equally important to give him the chance to test his abilities and experiment with them.
Information about Swings and Hammocks
Els Rengenhart © 2009