Do you remember those summers when there weren't any cell phones or computers, and your mom wouldn't let you in the house until you were outside for at least an hour? Maybe that was just me, but I remember plenty of hot summer days standing on concrete and throwing a tennis ball against the brick wall of the house and catching it just to not die of boredom. Well.. the other day I was in the backyard with my kids and my daughter picked up a tennis ball and started throwing it against the wood of the swing set and catching it. And I thought, ah ha! Video time! I can't help but think with an OT brain and see how something so simple, that use to entertain me as a kid, can also be a therapeutic activity. First, throwing at a target requires eye/hand coordination. Second, it requires force modulation, or the ability to throw with the correct force to get it to bounce back to you without moving. Third, it takes bilateral integration skills to bring your hands together to catch the ball, and again, eye/hand coordination to move your arms in the right direction at the right time. Fourth, it takes rhythm and timing. Crazy, because all of those skills are related to handwriting! Bottom line is if you can get your kids to find any kind of value or entertainment in throwing and catching a tennis ball, you will be indirectly impacting their handwriting in a positive way. If this activity is too difficult for your child there are many ways to adapt it; * start with just bouncing and catching a tennis ball up and down on concrete * have them try to bounce and catch with one hand * have them bounce and catch between hands * have them dribble the ball with one hand, then between two hands Here's the Youtube video for a visual. Thank you! LeAnn
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AuthorLeAnn Wald Archives
May 2020
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