To ask how you developed your child’s Gross Motor skills

[Hokeypokeyz]

Shamelessly posting for traffic as very worried about my 4 year olds gross motor skills. He hates walking, still uses two feet on each stair and can’t ride his bike with stabilisers/use a scooter, hop or stand on one leg.

School won’t refer for another term, and it’s weeks until I can get a GP appointment, then even if they do refer it will be months before any appointments.

Just wondering if anyone has any activities I could use until we can get some proper help? We do small walks every day working towards longer ones, he has an indoor trampoline and we do catching and throwing. Anything else?

Our school uses the Big Moves intervention. I think the local sports partnership post videos on you tube to show examples of fundamental movement so might be worth looking there?

Painting large rainbows using one sweeping arc? Swimming and walking along small walls/mounds etc (with a hand held) and hopscotch no matter how poorly done. It all needs to be play based. Mine was older when we started doing the rainbows, but all three helped with notably poor balance and low core strength.

Go via the health visitor for a referral. Even if you haven’t seen one for ages, they are involved to age 5. Quicker than waiting for school.

Have you had his hearing checked?

Throwing and catching with balloons / cloth squares - it’s slower so the reaction time makes it easier. Visiting soft play regularly where he’s encouraged to climb.

DD has a physical condition and was given various physio exercises like bear crawling but tbh we often struggled to get her to do them. We just went with whatever physical activity she enjoyed and would do - as much as possible. At that age it was swimming, lots of playground time, walking or scooting if in a hurry rather than car. She did some extra curricular clubs which were physical like Playball (a multi sports club) and ballet. We also bought physical toys like a wobble board, monster feet, indoor mini trampoline (as you have) and later on a small garden climbing frame.

My son has Down Syndrome, we had very minimal input from physio. We go to the park and soft play a lot! We also play a lot of football to practice kicking etc.
To be honest my son is just not interested in his scooter or bike, we don’t force it (he has a balance bike as can’t yet ride a bicycle). Can you speak to your health visitor if you’re concerned

@Hermittrismegistus weirdly enough his hearing seems to be awful for the last few weeks - he has a referral to audiology. What’s makes you ask?

Can he get up off the floor without using furniture or hands on legs for support? If not, go to the GP

@minipie you know you have kids when your living room looks like a soft play! @dlago he just pushing up with hands on the ground - that’s normal I think? @LBB2020 I hope your son is doing well now ☺️

It's just that he seems to be avoiding doing things that require balance.

My niece of mine displayed similarly and it turned out she has something wrong with one of her eardrums.

Did he crawl before he walked? If not, getting back to basics crawling round the floor playing and essentially getting back to tummy time could help. The wheely boards you lie on tummy down and push yourself around are great for this (recommendation from paed OT I did a workshop on motor skills with)

Look into 'crossing the midline' activities, bilateral exercises & integrated reflexes. There are helpful occupational therapy resources here-
https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids