Mrs McCourt and Miss Sarah take a few children from each class every morning to our Motor Sensory Group with the help of Miss Cara. We start off in the mornings with a warm up of different exercises eg running on the spot, jumping jacks etc. The children then has a variety of different activities to complete each morning to strenghten their muscles and improve their fine and gross motor skills as well as their balance.
From the photos that have been taken, we use a scooter board and other equipment. The idea for this is for the children to use their arm muscles to move the board. Squeezing a ball with their legs and jumping from one foot to the other foot will develop their gross motor skills and their balance as they are engaging their core muscles. Using the tweezers to pick up the pom poms is developing the childs pincer grasp which enables them to pick up small objects between the thumb and forefinger, which is an essential pre-handwriting skill. The colourful tweezers will develop their hand and eye coordination which prepares the muscles and brain for writing. The stilts help develop gross motor skills and enhance coordination and balance all while having fun!
We finish off each morning session with a cool down of different exercises eg hand exercises, neck rolls and end with a therapy ball being rolled over the child. Deep pressure input can be very calming and relaxing for the body. By rolling a therapy ball with pressure is a great way to calm and relax the child.
All the children always enjoy the sessions!
