Having good balancing skills will increase children’s confidence in gross motor activities, increase their ability and confidence to engage in physical activities and promote fine motor skills.
Balance is the ability to maintain control of a particular body position whilst performing a given task with minimal postural sway.
Maintaining control of your body positioning requires good static and dynamic balance, reducing the energy required to perform a host of activities and tasks whilst minimizing fatigue.
Balance is vital to achieving success in almost every sport or physical activity and is fundamental in the process of learning to ride a bike.
Is the ability to maintain control of a position whilst remaining stationary.
For example – Balancing on one leg
Is the ability to maintain balance and control of the body whilst moving, such as riding a bike, jumping or hopping.
Gross motor skills are larger movements your baby makes with his/her arms, legs, feet or his/her entire body.
For example – Crawling, running and jumping
Fine motor skill is the coordination of small muscles in movements usually involving the synchronisation of hands and fingers with the eyes. Fine motor skills are achieved when children learn to use their smaller muscles, like muscles in the hands, fingers and wrists. Children use fine motor skills when writing; holding small items; buttoning clothing; turning pages; eating; cutting with scissors and using computer keyboards.
Children with balance disorders have symptoms of disequilibrium, it is an “unsteady” feeling that makes it hard to stand up; walk; run; climbing stairs without falling; stumbling or tripping. Balance disorders can also cause vision problems.
