« Back to Blog

As the weather warms up and the days get longer, physical therapists know spring is a great time to work on gross motor skills with their patients. Here are 37 tips for physical therapists to help their patients make the most of the spring/summer season and improve their gross motor skills:

1. Encourage patients to walk outside and gradually increase the distance they cover over time.
2. Practice jumping jacks to work on coordination and cardiovascular endurance.
3. Have patients practice running, skipping, or hopping to improve their balance and coordination.
4. Use outdoor games like hopscotch, jump rope, or tag to work on gross motor skills.
5. Practice throwing and catching a ball to improve upper extremity strength and coordination.
6. Teach patients how to ride a bike or scooter to work on balance and coordination.
7. Use outdoor playground equipment like swings or monkey bars to improve gross motor skills.
8. Practice kicking a ball or playing soccer to improve lower extremity strength and coordination.
9. Encourage patients to try a new outdoor activity like hiking to work on overall fitness and endurance.
10. Use outdoor obstacle courses to improve gross motor skills and coordination.
11. Practice going up and down stairs or hills to work on balance and coordination.
12. Use outdoor strength training equipment like pull-up bars or resistance bands to improve strength and endurance.
13. Practice crawling or bear walking to improve core strength and stability.
14. Use outdoor trampolines or bouncy houses to improve balance and coordination.
15. Use outdoor equipment like rakes or shovels to improve hand strength and endurance.
16. Encourage patients to participate in team sports like basketball or volleyball to improve coordination and teamwork skills.
17. Use outdoor games like kickball or dodgeball to work on gross motor skills and coordination.
18. Practice walking or jogging on uneven terrain to improve balance and coordination.
19. Use outdoor balance boards or wobble boards to improve balance and stability.
20. Practice throwing or hitting a target to improve hand-eye coordination.
21. Encourage patients to try a new outdoor sport like tennis or golf to work on overall fitness and endurance.
22. Use outdoor stairs or bleachers to work on lower extremity strength and endurance.
23. Practice using outdoor equipment like swings or climbing structures to work on gross motor skills.
24. Encourage patients to try a new outdoor dance or movement class to improve coordination and rhythm.
25. Use outdoor mini-golf courses to work on coordination and balance.
26. Practice going for a jog or run to improve cardiovascular endurance.
27. Use outdoor sandboxes or sand play to improve sensory integration and gross motor skills.
28. Encourage patients to participate in outdoor group fitness classes to improve overall fitness and motivation.
29. Use outdoor balance beams or logs to work on balance and stability.
30. Practice hiking or nature walks to improve mobility and cardiovascular endurance.
31. Use outdoor tug-of-war or other team-building games to improve teamwork and gross motor skills.
32. Use outdoor stretching or yoga to improve flexibility and balance.
33. Practice using outdoor swings or hammocks to work on balance and coordination.
34. Use an outdoor tree or rock climbing to improve upper and lower extremity strength and coordination.
35. Practice balancing on one foot or using a balance board to improve balance and stability.

 

Whether you're looking for summer work or early intervention cases or want to explore our innumerable part-time, full time and per diem pediatric positions, Therapeutic Resources would love to speak with you! Send us your information here, and a placement manager will be in touch within 24 hours. Talk to you soon!

---

Comments

Commenting is not available in this channel entry.