Animal walks are excellent for improving postural mechanisms such as muscle tone, equilibrium and balance reactions, planning and coordination of bilateral arm/leg use as well as sequencing, rhythm and body awareness.
It is advisable to do a few animal walks during the course of each day; try to integrate them as part of your daily program (for example: leopard crawl out of bed towards the breakfast table; bear walk around the table 5 times before watching your favourite television program; kangaroo hop to go and fetch mom's handbag; crab walk across the room to fetch puzzle pieces one by one). Note that you need to find a pattern which works best for your household and ensure safety.
Keep in mind that the child will enjoy an activity much more if presented as a game or with other children. Use music, rhymes or animal sounds to your advantage and keep it fun. Pretend to be a big frog (mom) trying to catch a little frog (the child), where a hat or mask and remember that the imagination of a child knows no limits.
Encourage the child to do the movements to the best of his/her own abilities.
leopard crawl: Crawl flat on stomach while using forearms to pull and legs to push self forward along the floor; make sure that the child is facing straight ahead and encourage right arm to move with left leg and left arm with right leg.
crab walk: Sit on bum, place both arms back with hands flat; bend knees and place feet flat. Push up to raise bum of the floor, your arms and legs represent a table's legs and your stomach the table's top. Encourage the child to raise his/her bum well of the floor, walk forward, backward and sideways to the right and left. Place a small item on your tummy to balance it while crab walking.
kangaroo hop: Stand upright and bend the knees slightly, jump high with both feet together while keeping arms and hands at chest height; jump forward, backward and sideways to the right and left; jump on different textures, for example carpet, tiles, grass, sand.
rabbit hop: Sit in a squatting position with hands placed forward on the floor, jump with both feet together so that your feet land in-between your hands, now place hands forward again and repeat the jump while keeping hands in place until feet land in-between hands again.
frog leap: Sit in a squatting position with hands placed on the floor in-between your feet, jump forward with both arms and legs together without falling over, repeat the leap; jump over objects, up hill and down hill.
duck waddle: Sit in a squatting position with hands/fingers hooked under armpits to form wings, walk forward with both right arm and right leg together; so flap your little wings and start quacking.
bear walk: Stand upright and bend your back forward at the hips, grab your ankles (as far down the legs as possible) and walk forward with rigid legs while slowly swaying from side to side; growl like a bear; walk slow and fast; walk sofly and quietly or hard and loudly.
seal sail: Lie on tummy, lift chest onto forearms and/or hands, depending on how strong you are. Use upper limbs to pull lower body forward on the floor. Start out on a tiled floor for smooth sailing.
Please contact Speelkamer if you have any queries and/or questions.
