Balance Games for Kids

Kids of all ages need strong trunk control for greater balance. Balance is needed to walk across a room, go up and down the stairs, and ride a bike. Without good balance skills, kids may fall over when sitting at their desks in the classroom or trip and fall when running on the outdoor playground.

Why not make it fun and introduce balance games for kids? Balance is a learned skill that needs to be practiced to develop. Playing specific games gives kids the opportunity to practice their balance skills in a safe environment.

WHAT DOES BALANCE MEAN FOR KIDS?

Kids need balance to control their bodies and participate in everyday activities such as getting dressed, going to the bathroom, and sitting at a table for meals. Good balance equals strong overall physical activity and the ability to participate in gross motor activities. It also leads to greater muscle strength, endurance, and agility when participating in activities with their peers. Other important components include:

CONCENTRATION

Concentration requires focus and effort from children during a task. Kids can better balance their bodies when they are focused while participating in activities at school. In turn, poor balance can lead to difficulty concentrating and paying attention.

BILATERAL COORDINATION/HAND-EYE COORDINATION

Bilateral coordination is when children use both sides of the body at the same time during tasks. Hand-eye coordination is when the eyes work with the hands to complete an activity or task successfully. These two components help to keep balance in check and allow kids to move around without falling or stumbling.

POSTURAL CONTROL

Postural control helps keep the neck and trunk stable to complete a task. It is the support that allows kids to move their arms and legs effortlessly. Postural support maintains balance during activities.

PROPRIOCEPTION SENSORY PROCESSING

Processing sensory information from the environment is crucial to appropriately respond to a task or activity. Proprioception is a part of sensory processing for body awareness. It allows kids to be aware of the position of their bodies in space and plan their movements.

WHAT IS STATIC BALANCE COMPARED TO DYNAMIC BALANCE?

Two types of balance that are important for children to develop include static balance and dynamic balance. Static balance is maintaining balance during tasks that do not involve movement such as sitting or standing. Dynamic balance is maintaining balance during moving activities such as walking or jumping. Both are equally important in the development of gross motor skills in kids.

BALANCE GAMES FOR TODDLERS

Most children start to develop balance skills between 18 months to two years. For toddlers to learn how to walk, they constantly need to develop their balance skills. Young children can work on their balance right at home.

• yoga poses game – strike different yoga poses (i.e. tree pose, airplane pose)
• tightrope walking game – walk heel-toe on masking tape or a string attached to the floor or carpet without falling into the imaginary water
• stand on one-foot game – see how long they can stand on one foot without holding onto a wall
• ladder bridge game – prop a ladder with two pillows on each end and try to climb the ladder in the horizontal position from one end to the other
• balloon volley game – stand on a pillow and try hitting a balloon without letting it fall to the ground while staying on the pillow

BALANCE GAMES FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Preschoolers are all about games! A great opportunity to add balance games for preschoolers is during the school day. Not only will these games improve balance, but they will also foster a love of learning.

• obstacle course game – race under, over, and through barriers which can be made simple or challenging
• hopscotch game – alternate hopping left foot and right foot and pick up small objects along the way
• sidewalk twister game – draw colored circles with chalk on the ground outside to play the game
• stepping stones game – use any type of larger foam cutout shapes in a path to walk, jump, or hop on
• exercise/therapy ball game – complete an activity (i.e. homework or lesson) while sitting on an exercise/therapy ball at a desk or table

BALANCE GAMES FOR KIDS

Balance is needed for movement. Without balance, older children cannot participate in physical activities such as riding a bike or swimming. Games are a great way to practice the skill of balance while having fun too!

• freeze dance – move around until the music stops and freeze like a statue while holding a pose
• balance boards – can use a piece of plywood and a pool noodle or foam roller to make a balance board and stand on to rock, wobble and sway back and forth
• paper balance activities – fun activities such as a paper balance beam, one-foot challenge, balance taps, paper lifts, paper hops, and paper kicks
• curb games – walk forwards, backward, and sideways on the curb without falling off of the curb
• interactive balance games – 10 interactive PDF balance challenges to complete while standing or on the floor

Having good balance help kids build the confidence to play sports and participate in activities with their peers. Practice makes balance skills develop even further. Balance games for kids are the perfect type of practice!

RELATED POSTS

Evidence-Based Interventions for Balance Skills – effective interventions for improving balance skills.

Balance Activities and Progressions – 20 different balance activities along with 8 different balance progressions. 

Simple Everyday Balance Activities – 10 simple balance activities for kids to practice throughout the day.

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY:

Kimberly Orlando, MOTR/L – Kimberly Orlando received her Master of Occupational Therapy from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA in 2001, and received her Level 1 Handwriting Specialist Certification through Handwriting Without Tears in 2012 in the areas of Pre-K Readiness, Printing, Cursive, and The Print Tool Evaluation. With 21 total years of experience as an Occupational Therapist, she has 6 years of experience providing services in hospital and home health care settings and 15 years of experience in early intervention and school settings (Pre-K through middle school levels). Kimberly also has experience tutoring children with fine motor and handwriting concerns.