How many activities can you do with a therapy ball? Here are some of our favorites.
- Increase upper body strength as you have your child lay in prone, on their stomach over the ball, placing their hands on the floor to weight bear. The larger the ball, the higher your child, the more gravity working against your child. While laying on their stomach have your child play games on the floor, complete puzzles, or stack blocks. They won't even know they are working! When placing the ball, if you want more support make sure it is under your child's hips, more difficult move the ball down their legs. And remember to make the activity less challenging as you make the position more difficult to avoid frustration.
- Use your therapy ball as a seat! For those students who like to move, switch their chair for a therapy ball. Have your child sit with their hips, knees, and ankles at ninety degrees. Make sure you have an adult close by especially when you first try out the ball for a seat. Our new Kore Chair may be a safer option!
- Provide some deep pressure! Have your child laying flat on the therapy mat or floor, and roll over them with therapy ball. Make some pancakes!
- Therapy ball toss- have your child pick the ball up over their head using two hands together, toss toward a partner. Increase the distance between partners to work on grading control and force. Increasing upper body strength, team work and eye hand coordination. If you don't have a partner use the wall for ball throws.
- Therapy ball patterns- work on modulating force and increasing strength with this fun therapy pattern activity. Use these patterns: *Throw ball against the ball, bounce, and catch. *Throw against wall and catch. *Bounce, throw against wall and catch. *Place something on the floor, throw ball to hit it and partner will catch. *Bounce with alternating hands. *Bounce five times with one hand and five times with the other.
