5 activities to help your child's motor skills in the San Francisco Bay Area
As a San Francisco Bay Area parent, we want nothing more than to set up our child for success. We want our little ducklings to be ready for the world! Setting up your child for success is as simple and critical as participating in activities that will help develop and improve your child’s motor skills. Here are 5 activities that can help with motor skills:
1.Baby Yoga
Baby yoga! Baby yoga is a great way to get some stretching and exercise in while also improving your child’s motor skills. The required focus and balance needed to develop particular yoga poses can help in a child’s gross and fine motor skills. Time to start doing tree pose, downward dog, tree pose, etc with your little duckling...babies are natural yogis. It is also a great way to get your child active within the busy San Francisco Bay Area.
Come join us at Little Ducklings Clubhouse for some yoga!
2. Painting
Different types of painting can help strengthen your child’s hand-eye coordination and dexterity. One specific painting that we like to do at Little Ducklings Clubhouse is finger painting. Finger painting gives kids an opportunity to use their hands and to get messy! Also, painting with a brush helps kids learn to hold a brush and control their movements with the brush. Not to mention this allows children to be creative and expand their minds in the world of art.
3. Play-dough and Putty
Play-dough and putty can be the perfect distraction for your little ones, especially while you are eating out or strolling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Little ducklings love play-dough and putty because the possibilities are endless and they are available to create whatever they want with it. In addition to being able to get creative, it can also help improve your child’s motor skills and development. Encourage your child to squeeze, stretch, pinch and roll “snakes” or “worms” with the play clay.
4. Playground playing
Playing on the playground can benefit your child in many ways. Swinging on a swing set can help kids develop balance. Swings can also help them with coordination as they have to shift their weight back and forth in order to move the swing. But also, encourage your child to use more difficult playground equipment like rope ladders, wobble bridges, spider webs, etc. While some playground equipment can be scary before kids get used to them, they help work trunk muscles.
There are many parks and playgrounds throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and at the Little Ducklings Clubhouse, treat your child to some playtime that will also be beneficial.
5. Dancing
Why not have a dance party with your little duckling? Dancing is a fun activity that also helps with motor skills in many ways. Whether it is a dance class or a dance party in your living room, dancing is good gross motor practice. It helps kids develop balance, coordination, and motor sequencing skills. It also helps build your child’s awareness of rhythm.
All of these activities can be done at the San Francisco Bay Area Little Ducklings Clubhouse or at your own home! They don’t require many resources, tools, etc, and help your child improve their motor skills. Time to start dancing, downward dogging, or taking playdates to the playground.