Pushing heavy items is a form of “proprioceptive input”. It can help your children become more aware of their body, strengthen their arms, and improve their overall attention.

Activity: Stand on one end and have your child at the other end. Count how many times you can roll the ball back and forth to each other in 30 seconds. Try to go faster each time!

The Rainbow Arch is a great piece of equipment to work on motor planning and visual tracking and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) cancellation skills.

A child can problem solve on how to place the ball on the track in order for it to roll down on the other side.

As the ball rolls down the track, visual tracking can be worked on by following the ball with eye movements while keeping the head still.

VOR cancellation can be worked on by moving both the head and eyes to follow the ball.

Postural control: you could work on pushing the ball back and forth while maintaining positions such as hands/knees, tall kneel and ½ kneel.

While your child is playing on this equipment, you can model words such as Up/down, over, my turn/your turn, fall down, push, roll, ball, rails, 1-2-3, ready set go.

If your child is non-verbal, you can model signs or gestures to elicit a request.

You can target following directions and joint attention by having the child “push up”, “push down”, “push to me”.