Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

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You’re Little One is Walking – Now What?

March 30, 2020 by Stacy Menz

Walking is often the skill that it most anticipated by parents. A child’s first steps open a new world of opportunity for exploration and play. But..now that your kiddo is walking on their own – what skills come next?!

It’s important that new walkers are provided opportunities to progress their walking skills. Once your child is comfortable walking, choosing walking over crawling, and becoming a bit more steady on their feet, here are some things to help them progress with their walking skills:

  • Walking on uneven surfaces
    • This is often the first task or challenge we introduce to new walkers
    • Uneven surfaces help to build balance, strength, and stability in your new walker
    • Outside surface variations include: grass, asphalt, sand, and tan bark
    • Be creative! There are many ways inside surfaces can be incorporated into challenging your new walker’s balance: laying down pillows or sofa cushions, walking across bubble wrap, folding up a yoga mat onto itself a few times are just a few ways to start with this

 

  • Step over obstacles
    • This helps to allow for the beginning stages of standing on one foot and also helps to encourage lifting up the feet higher off the ground – both important factors for not only walking but future activities such as running!
    • Varying the height of objects your child has to step over allows for variation in challenge
      • Incorporating objects of multiple heights also increases the challenge – your kiddo will have to constantly adjust how much they shift their weight and lift up their leg
    • We love to use pool noodles around here for practicing this skill! An easy at home object to use is your leg – notice this also allows for a variety of heights!

  • Inclines and Declines
    • You’ll probably notice that your new walker has a bit more challenge walking up and down ramps or inclines/declines
    • We often find that walking down ramps is a bit more challenging than walking up – this takes a lot more control over movement!
    • Allowing for practice of this while out in the community will help your new walker to build up their strength
      • Bonus! It also requires them to have to plan, change, and grade their muscle activation throughout the task!

  • Combine all 3!
    • Create a fun and interactive obstacle course that incorporates multiple components
    • This is something older siblings often love to help with!

Related

Filed Under: Blog, Developmental Milestones Tagged With: balance, coordination, exercise, gross motor development, kids, motor planning, Motor Smart Kids, physical therapy, Starfish Therapies, walking

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“We have been so happy with our experience with Stacy. She is a skilled therapist who is so open to all of our questions and ideas. We have worked with a number of different therapists over time, and Stacy has truly been the best therapist for our son! We have also done physical therapy intensives with different clinics across the country, and found our intensive with Starfish to be the most useful and most tailored to what our son needs (not just a cookie cutter formula). We are grateful for all of the time/effort/sweat Stacy puts in for our son!”

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  1541 Old Bayshore Highway
  Burlingame, CA 94010

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