Bean bags are great. We use them in all sorts of ways. I’ll quickly list a few below and then I’ll talk about what is happening in these pictures above. (Clearly we might need to have a few posts on bean bags!)
A few of the things we have used bean bags to work on:
- Throwing
- Catching
- Squatting
- Going up on tip toes
- Cross body reaching
In the photos above, we were working on ankle dorsiflexion. That is the motion that lifts the toes up in the air so that it is easier to clear your feet when you are walking. Other ways to work on it are by walking on your heels or toe tapping but this is more fun and also works on standing on one leg to promote balance and single leg stance. Not to mention we got a few squats in every time they had to pick the bean bag up and put it back on their foot!
So what we did was we had the bean bags on the floor. We created a barrier using a balance beam (although you can use any type of height) and then we placed an upside down stool on the other side (you can also use a bucket or a spot on the floor or anything that works as a target). We then had the child place the bean bag on the top of their foot and attempt to lift it up and over the balance beam and drop it in the bucket. The bean bags are slippery so you may find its easier to do with shoes on or with bare feet, or you keep socks on to make it more challenging! Every time it slips off, it’s one more squat and single leg stance they get to do!
What other ways have you worked on dorsiflexion (foot clearance)?
