Leisure

Leisure

Leisure occupations are generally referred to as play within children’s occupational therapy. Play provides children with the opportunity of learning, social interaction, problem solving, skill growth and exploration. The ability to engage in regular and varied play is vital in a child’s development. Leisure activities can be offered to children both within a group setting and with families.
  

 

Gross motor skills

Developing gross motor skills will support your children with their larger body movements e.g. balance, co-ordination, core strength but also with their shoulder strength to support with carrying out fine motor skills in everyday activities. Promoting these skills can be done by participating in a variety of fun activities which support and promote these movements.

 

Activities:

• Simon Says - using left and right hands, arms, feet and legs
• Dancing with a few selected simple steps or movements
• Obstacle courses to allow:- propelling self with arms and legs, commando crawling, crawling,  balancing on one foot, hopping, skipping
• 'Twister' activity or similar game
• Ball games-rolling, throwing/catching, kicking, using targets/goals

 

Leisure activity ideas

 

 

Fine motor skills

Developing fine motor abilities and hand strength will support the child in mastering everyday tasks such as dressing, handwriting and cutlery use independently.

 

This can be done by participating in a variety of fun activities which support and promote these skills:

 

Activities:

• Playing with board games e.g. snakes and ladders, operation, playing cards/dominoes
• Musical instruments, playing flute, guitar, piano/keyboard
• Craft activities, complete a project, e.g. make a large harry potter, a train, a castle using gluing, cutting, scrunching of paper
• Play dress up with dolls, teddys or self, fastening buttons, zips make it fun
• Play dough, baking, make it fun, play restaurants make pretend food with dough

 

Riding a bike

Children learn to ride a bike at various ages however for some children it can be more difficult. Here are some examples of children who may need support:

• children with delayed motor skills
• children with co-ordination or motor-planning difficulties
• children with low muscle tone or altered muscle tone

 

Tips to support a child to have fun and be a safe cyclist:

1. Make sure your child has a well-fitting helmet
2. Set the seat height so it is right for your child; their feet should be flat on the ground when seated
3. Rather than using stabilisers, it is strongly recommended that you remove the pedals
4. Before your child learns to cycle, teach them to walk along in a straight line whilst holding onto the handle- bars, with the bike on their right-hand side
5. Make it a fun experience

 

Riding a bike

 

Group activities:

• Rainbows
• Brownies
• Guides
• Cubs
• Beavers
• Scouts
• Ventures
• Rangers
   

Physical and outdoors activities:

• swimming
• rock climbing
• karate
• martial arts
• soft play
• park run
• bowling
• mini golf
• fairground rides
• park play grounds
• bike riding
• scooter parks
• high rope courses
• trampolining
• tennis
• badminton
• outdoor gyms