Your Therapy Source Magazine for Pediatric Therapists May 2015 | Page 19

Activity Balloon Bat

Here is a very simple make and take that include fine motor skills, gross motor
skills and eye hand coordination skills.
You will need a paper plate, paint stirrer or large craft stick, markers and a
balloon for each child.
Ask the children to think of physical activities that they can complete on their
own at home ie swinging, jump rope, hopscotch, dance, shoot hoops, etc. Go
around the table and ask each child for their ideas. With each suggestion, the
children write down the idea on his/her own plate. When done attach the paint
stirrer to the back of the plate. Blow up the balloons. The children can practice
hitting the balloon up in the air. See how many times they can hit the balloon
before it falls to the floor.
To work on body awareness, mark off an area. Tell all the children to hit the
balloons in the air within in the contained space. They can hit their balloons but
not each other. When the kids can do it, make the contained space smaller.
Have the children repeat the game continuing to hit the balloon and no one
else.
When done, the children can take the activity home. Now they can practice eye
hand coordination skills and when done will have lots of ideas for more physical
activities.