by Tammy Groenwald, PT DPT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

With upcoming therapy center closures for the holiday season, your child does not have to go without therapies. There are many activities available valleywide that will address your child’s gross motor goals.

If your child has a physical therapy goal to address overall proprioception and body awareness, take your child to nearby parks and have them walk up and down inclines, on uneven terrain such as Astroturf or sand, or woodchips, or walk along the playground curbing like a balance beam.

If your child has a physical therapy goal to address stair negotiation, ascending and descending playground stairs is great practice as well as stepping up and down curbs. Working on stair negotiation at home can also be fun. To cue placing one foot on each step at home, place one whoopee cushion on each step and have your child step only on the cushions as he or she negotiates the stairs.

If your child has a physical therapy goal to address jumping or hopping, take your child to a nearby bounce house such as Jump Street, Bounce U, or Bounce Jungle. Cue your child to bounce up and down and land with knees bent to increase the shock absorption. If siblings are present, have your child try to bounce their sibling, who is sitting on the inflatable, as high off the inflatable as possible.

If your child has a physical therapy goal to address bike riding or tricycle, take family bike rides around your neighborhood. Work on verbal commands such as “stop” and “start” and time how long it takes for your child to respond. If your child is transitioning from riding a bike with training wheels to a bike without training wheels, simply take the pedals off and encourage your child to balance on the bike and glide by using their feet to propel off the ground. Once your child is able to glide and balance the bike for several seconds with both feet off the ground without loss of balance, put the pedals back on and work on the reciprocal pedaling.

If your child has a physical therapy goal to address endurance, play a game of tag or have shuttle run races with family members. Go to the Phoenix Zoo or Phoenix Botanical Gardens for long family walks. If you have a membership to your local gym, take your child with you and have he or she jog/fast walk on the treadmill. *Please consult with your child’s therapist to make sure this activity is appropriate.*

If your child has a physical therapy goal to address any hand-eye coordination goal, take your child to the batting cages, the bowling alley, or a miniature golf place to practice these specific game skills. For the older child, try laser tag at Golfland or Dave and Busters. All of the activities available at these locations will also address fine motor skills in addition to gross motor skills.

If your child has a physical therapy goal to address sensory needs, take your child to a gymnastics center for open play and have he or she jump on the large trampolines or tumbletrack, negotiate the rope climb, or jump the foam block pits.

If you have any questions about the above listed activities, please do not hesitate to ask your PT.