As a working mom, the time I get to spend with Abe aka DinoPT baby is extremely precious. With a treasure trove of toys and activities from my work on the job, Abe has been my guinea pig on more than one occasion. This is truly a win-win for us all. Abe helps me try out new equipment and games, like our inaugural Activity of the Week, Suction Ball!
Our “DinoPT Activity of the Week” is for parents, caregivers, educators and Pediatric therapists alike to encourage active play and facilitate learning through play!
Suction Ball
What you need:
- Suction Balls
- Basket
- Vertical Mirror or Glass surface for balls to attach
- Optional: Dyna-disc or pillow for balance challenge
Activity Breakdown:
- Begin with placing or throwing the suction balls on the vertical mirror surface. You can also do this on a glass door or window, or any other slick surface that the balls can adhere.
- Encourage child to retrieve ball with one hand, while the other hand stabilizes at the vertical surface.
- Promote reaching up on tiptoes to reach the higher balls and squatting low to retrieve the balls placed strategically lower.
- You can have the child throw the balls back to you, practicing object manipulation skills (under vs overhand throwing), roll them back, or place them in a basket to begin the game anew!
Abe reaches overhead, rising up on his tiptoes to retrieve balls. He stabilizes with one hand on vertical surface, while his other hand applies force to pull suction ball off vertical mirror.
Abe squats down low to retrieve balls, great for strengthening and stretching his lower extremity musculature.
Abe throws suction ball back working on overhand throwing pattern, hand eye coordination and graded force.
Use dyna disc or pillow for added strength and balance challenge!
Therapy Goals:
- Body awareness
- Object manipulation
- Hand-eye coordination
- Reaching overhead/squatting to increase lower extremity strength/range of motion
Increase Challenge by:
- Using dry erase markers on mirror to draw target for child to throw suction ball towards.
- After child retrieves suction ball encourage use of color recognition to match suction balls to colored spots on floor.
- Keeping track of the suction balls by counting, using tally marks on white board or chalkboard.
- Using Dyna-Disc to challenge balance and strength.
For more fun activities, check out our Soccer Bowling post!
Learn more about Dinosaur Physical Therapy!
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Love this idea! Easily modified if you don’t have access to a mirror, you can use a door or window. Or magnets on a fridge 🙂
Absolutely easily modified! Thanks for your feedback! OTMommy approval means the world to us!
Oh man, my kids love suction balls! They started calling them “sticky balls” when they were little…I will have to pull them out of storage! We don’t have a good mirror indoors for them but our sliding glass door to the backyard is perfect. Thanks for the reminder and cute pics!
Sticky balls is a much better name than suction balls! Your kids are on to something 🙂