Activities for Children with Low Muscle Tone

Positioning

• Children with low muscle tone can build muscle strength from the ways they are positioned. Certain body positions send sensory input to the brain that encourage muscle activity without too much effort on the child. Putting a child on his stomach stimulates back and neck muscles. In this position, movements such as lifting his head and arms, will help your child build muscle. Another position that encourages activity is lying on your side. When kids are on their sides, the muscles of whatever side they are lying on are able to stretch. In conjunction with reaching, having your child on his side can engage side, back and stomach muscles. Relaxed activities such as watching television, playing board games and looking at books are good times to have children on their stomachs or sides.

Flexibility Activities

• Being aware of and exercising the range of motion that body parts have can help strengthen muscles and keep joints from getting stiff. You can guide your child in exploring the range of motion that her arms, legs, neck and other body parts have through simple flexibility activities. Making these activities part of a morning or bedtime routine will ensure that your child̵7;s muscles and joints are being activated daily. Most flexibility activities are comparable to stretching. For example, to help with arm strength and flexibility, have your child move or move your child̵7;s arms over his head, behind his back, and back and forth in front of his body. A flexibility activity to work the legs would involve lifting each leg up straight as high as it can go, bending back at forth at the knees, and moving the ankles up, down and around.

Movement Activities

• Children with low muscle tone will benefit from any level of activity. However, certain activities and tasks require multiple muscles to fire simultaneously, making them excellent for building overall strength. Movement activities can also help with coordination and endurance, which are areas that many children with low muscle tone also struggle with. Jumping or bouncing on a trampoline activates leg muscles and promotes good balance. Activities that require your child to use his limbs to hold his body up like wheelbarrow and crab-walking promote arm, back and core muscle strength. Climbing activities such as playing on a play structure or small climbing wall also allow for leg and arm muscles to be exercised at the same time.

Considerations

• When doing any muscle building activity with your child, take his developmental level into account. Always have the safety of your child in mind. Strength-building activities should be kept fun and light-hearted. This will motivate your child to try harder, even though he is exerting a lot of energy. Encourage your child to do his best, and praise him for even the smallest accomplishments.