Working against a resistance helps children build stronger muscles. Adequate muscular strength allows kids to deal with the demands of daily life without excessive stress on their joints and muscles. Activities that build strength promote strong bones, muscles and good posture, improve the ability to lift and manoeuvre objects and obstacles and enhance healthy growth and development.

Crawling and the four point position are absolutely critical links to brain and body development. It facilitates sensory integration as well as gross motor, fine motor, and visual motor development. And at a much higher skill level, crawling facilitates reading and math skills.

Along with strengthening the trunk, shoulders and hand muscles, the mechanics of crawling stimulate different areas of the brain that are important for future learning.

Encourage your child to crawl and work on those muscles!

Steps:

1. Create a simple obstacle course (under a chair, around a pillow etc.)

2. Ask your child to get down on his hands and knees and blow the balloon through the obstacle course