Let’s Serve Up Some Fun!
Today’s challenge is to play a game of Indoor Tennis to honor Althea Gibson during Women’s History Month! She was the first African American to win the Grand Slam in 1956. Learn more from one of our Physical Therapists about how your child can work on gross motor skills while playing indoor tennis.
How To Play:
Have each person create a racket using a paper towel roll, a paper plate, cardboard, or anything else you may find around the house. Blow up a balloon or use a soft small ball to hit back and forth, keep off the ground, or volley across a barrier. This an active way to practice hand eye coordination, cross lateral movement, and motor planning.
Skills Addressed:
–Motor Planning: allows your child to remember and perform the necessary steps to complete an action, such as stepping over an object on the floor, initiating a jumping sequence, or tying their shoes.
–Hand Eye Coordination: this skill enables the eyes to guide the hands in accurate movements. The eyes need to guide the hands to perform many essential life skills such as handwriting, reading, doing chores, and playing sports.
–Cross Lateral Movement: this is when an arm or a leg crosses midline to reach to the opposite side of the body, such as when performing a backhand in tennis. When this occurs, both sides of the brain are communicating with each other. This helps to improve coordination, alertness, and prepare your child for higher level tasks down the road.
Have a blast playing Indoor Tennis!
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