More exercise suggestions

Aeroplanes or Back Extensions
Keeping the arms flexed, the neck shoulders and upper back develop strength for hand skills and writing.

Curl Ups
By also strengthening tummy and neck flexor muscles children's trunk muscles, balance and sitting posture will better develop. This is a good activity to calm and centre children.

Rock and Roll

In addition to rocking backwards and forwards on hands and knees, rocking sideways and around in circles, both directions provides stronger shoulders and wrists and also builds up the muscles in the hands to develop the arches of the hand. This assists more versatile hand grasps.

Cat Stretches
These are good for stretching and relaxing the back and neck muscles and mobilising the spine.

Other Fun Learning Activities:

• Blowing whistles
• Blowing ping pong balls
• Clapping rhythms
• Animal walks
• Rolling on spine, arms around legs like a ball
• Knuckle bone juggling

• Rubbing parts of own body and identifying them eg left knee, right ear
• Drawing letters on the back of student in front who then guesses what it is
• Hugging yourself as hard as you can
• Eye tracking - moving eyes to different places in the room on command
• Tai chi twirls and slaps
• Chewing
• Tracing the figure eight (lying on its side) in the air
• Standing on one leg with eyes closed
• Tapping alternate feet while poking tongue out on opposite side
• Tapping a balloon from student to student, every alternate student etc.
• Playing 'Simon Says'
• Drumming

Any fun thing! The students can be asked to suggest a lot more.

We have also added some additional suggestions for fun movement. See Suggestions from our Occupational Therapist Veronica.