Motor intervention for children: Activity ideas

The best part of my week is the time I spend with children in a group intervention program that is specifically aimed for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). I'll talk a little bit more about that some other time, but for now I'd like to show the activities we used in today's intervention session. It was a blast!

1. Catching Pokemon

This was such a hit! Children hold a "fishing pole" that has a magnet on the end - we have two sizes, a really long one and a shorter, which is always easier. Children are seated on a scooter and they have to catch one Pokemon at a time (there was a clip on the image) and bring it back to the table, one at a table. After that, they had to copy the names of the Pokemon on their list. There are many challenges - staying on the scooter, fishing, using non-dominant arm, and of course, writing.

 

2. Body tracing

Another cool activity - in pairs, one child laid down on a long and wide piece of paper, and the partner traced their upper body. After that, they got to decorate in order to create a "doll" version of their partner.

3. Balancing tennis ball on racquet

This is a pretty simple activity but that can be modified in many different ways - for example, the size of the ball changes the force required to hold it. Also, holding the racquet on the end or middle changes it as well. Children can try with their non-dominant arm, while walking, while balancing, kneeling and standing up, and if possible, dribble once and hold it. My suggestion is to practice this in a obstacle course, so children can explore all the different possibilities for this activity.

4. Straw maze

Another hit! With the lines setup for a paper on a piece of paper, children pick up straws cut in different sizes (set for fitting the maze) and use scotch tape to stick them to their respective places. That's a challenge in itself for children with fine-motor coordination problems. Then they get to use the maze to roll a marble ball - and it works perfectly!

5. Scooter relay

Children had to tie a racquet to a scooter (they practiced several types of knots with a large rope some time ago), take them to the other side of the place, then untie it. After that, they were supposed to complete a couple tasks such as balancing the tennis ball on the racquet in one position and dribbling a basketball on a few targets.

Some strategies for success:

- Use checklists - the children I work with enjoy receiving a list of their activities/goals in the beginning of their sessions, and they get to check their accomplishments throughout the program.

- Always move the focus of the attention of the child to an external point - in this case, the goal is to hit the poly dot, not to focus on dribbling.

- Mazes are a great activity, but sometimes they can be too challenging - one thing that will make it easier is to actually focus on coloring the "no exit" areas - the path will be much easier to find then.