Improve Balance and Spatial awareness.
There could be a surprisingly simple way of helping children ( & adults for that matter) who display some of these behaviours…
• Rocks back and forth
• Struggles with balance
• Is hyper and likes lots of physical play
• Needs to improve gross motor skills
• Needs to develop body coordination
• Needs to improve balance
• Cannot ride a bike
It looks like the most common trigger for these often unconscious habitual behaviours is likely to come from an over or under-stimulated Vestibular System.
In plain English, that means the body is having some kind of difficulty processing the vestibular sense. Most commonly referred to as Sensory Processing Difficulties (SPD).
The Vestibular Sense is our sense of balance and spatial awareness and is just as important as our more commonly referred to senses, sight, sound, smell and touch.
The Vestibular Senses purpose is for coordination, movement and balance. The sense of movement is controlled by our vestibular system. The vestibular system responds to body movement through space and changes in head position.
Children use this system when they engage in play activities such as swings and trampolines. It gives them information about how their body is moving through space. In infants the vestibular system is active every time they move their head, change position, are picked up and moved through the air or they are engaged in rough and tumble play.
Essentially struggling with balance or related activities like riding a bike or even dealing with the stake is likely to be caused by difficulties in processing your vestibular sense.
The good news is that it could be surprisingly simple to improve balance and the vestibular system!
Around 5 minutes a day of Capikoa Board time might be enough to significantly improve balance and spatial awareness, plus it’s incredibly fun!
This beautifully crafted balance board is a great piece of kit for developing senses. Used as a balance board it really helps to develop those core muscles which are really important when it comes to developing balance.
As well as being a balance board the curvy board can be used for so many other things…
• Throw a blanket on it curl up and read a book
• Stand on each edge while it’s in the ‘u’ position and rock!
• Lay on it and rock to meet your self-soothing needs.
• Use it as a ramp for your toy cars or a slide for your dolls and figures.
• Turn it the other way and balance on one foot.
• Place it on a chair with the other end on the floor and you have a slide
• While it is in the arched position like a rainbow, lay back on it giving your back a lovely stretch
• In the ‘U’ position put your feet at one end and hands at the other and practice your yoga moves with a downward dog while maintaining your balance.
The diversity it offers is limited purely by your imagination and that is also the point! It creates endless opportunities to develop, learn and grow through play.
Sensory seekers will love it. Rockers will love it, fitness and yoga fanatics will love it. In fact, I would challenge anyone not to love it!
On top of that, it has been made responsibly, and beautifully, its simplicity is its craft, I just love looking at it, it is a thing of beauty and quality!
Media error: Format(s) not supported or source(s) not foundDownload File: https://blog.chewigem.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1080plow.mp4?_=1
00:00
00:00
Looking for other tools to help with balance? Check out this blog on the wobble cushion.
Want to learn more about the vestibular system? Read our article on ‘Whats The Deal with Vestibular Sensitivity?’
Sensory Matters Podcast
Free Sensory Support Community
Can Chewigems Help Keep Your Teeth Clean?
