How to Promote the Physical Development of Children
A child's physical development starts before birth, while he's wiggling around and discovering his new life in the womb. Parents nervously watch for signs that their child is developing normally as soon as he is born, sometimes comparing their child with other children. If your child lags behind other kids his age or you become concerned about his progress, there are several things you can do to speed his muscle development, motor skills, coordination and balance.
Things You'll Need
- Rope
- Boxes
- Chair
- Table
- Soft rubber ball
- Masking tape
- Boiled egg
- Spoon
- Books
- Plastic cup
- Blocks
- Thread
- Cardboard with holes
- Shape sorter
- Crayons
- Scissors
Instructions
Understand what is normal for your child's age range and how children develop as they grow. Your pediatrician or websites like BabyCenter can give you age-based milestones for your child. Babies learn to control large muscles at the center of their bodies before the smaller muscles further away from their trunk, and will develop from their head to their toes. Your child will be able to hold up her head and swing her arms before she can walk, and she will be able to use arms and legs before hands, fingers, feet and toes. Encourage "free play" each day. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, many children are overscheduled, which can cause stress, depression and anxiety. Play sports to get your child active and develop motor skills and coordination. Playing with your child can help him develop physically, but can also help with emotional development and academics. Set up an obstacle course using ropes, boxes, chairs and tables. Provide plenty of opportunities for walking, running, jumping over things and crawling under tables or through small spaces. Designate a spot to hop on one foot, jump rope or play hopscotch. Let your child stomp or tiptoe through the course. This will promote your child's gross motor skills. Play catch. Begin by sitting on the floor and rolling a ball to your child. She should catch it and roll it back to you. As your child's development progresses, begin throwing and catching from a short distance, then increase the distance as your child gets better at the game. Throwing and catching improves your child's hand-eye coordination. Have a race. Use masking tape to make a starting and finish line on the floor. Walk from the starting line to the finish line, and then walk backward from the finish line to the start. Your child can run to the finish line, stop suddenly, turn around and run back or try to run backward. Your child may wish to crawl or crab walk, or balance a book on her head as she walks. These exercises refine gross motor skills. Balance a boiled egg on a spoon or carry a stack of books or a full cup of water as you race to develop fine motor skills too. Work on fine motor skills. Build with blocks, thread string through holes in cardboard, play with a shape sorter, draw with crayons and cut out pictures. Perform balancing exercises. Have your child stand on one foot and wiggle while trying to keep his balance. Dancing, hopping and twisting can improve balance, as well as pushing and pulling objects.
