Body Integration: Scooter Boards

A painless way to get important practice in basic body coordination.

Objectives

Children participating are able to maintain balance when moving on scooter board
able to propel self while on scooter board
and they can lean bilateral coordination.
Children ages 1 ½ years are able to re-establish balance when falls or pushed GM III
and ages 2 ½-4 can imitate body movements GM IX

Materials

Scooter boards*; large area; objects to simulate canoe paddles such as brooms and toilet plungers.
*Scooter boards can be made easily. Purchase 4 good free-turning casters.
Screw them to the bottom of a board (17"x13"x1"). Then tack a piece of shag rug, a remnant, over the top side. A piece of carpet 21"x17" is ample.

Procedures

1. Have children lie on stomachs on scooter boards. Limit number in group to number of scooter boards. Encourage the children to hold their heads up and keep feet off floor.

2. Have child spin their self around by pushing on floor with hands, alternating right and left. For a younger child it may be necessary to spin the child and have her balance herself on the board. Turn board only as fast as child desires.

3. The children can pretend they're lying on surf boards on their stomachs, paddling to catch a wave. They simulate paddling by extending the arms forward and passing hand along both sides of body simultaneously (i.e. breast stroke). Have young children stretch arms forward and place on ground. You then push gently as children imitate activity.

4. As each child sits or kneels on scooter board, give him a broom or plunger to be used as a paddle so he can paddle when pushing from side to side. Have the child also push or pull himself with the paddle (have children use hands alternately as much as possible in all these exercises).

5. Let the children try scooting while lying on their backs on boards, pushing first with both feet simultaneously, then with alternating feet.