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Be coordinated provides experiences to support children's coordination, movement and balance. It is beneficial for children to take part in a range of experiences that promote coordination and crossing their midline.

Crossing the body’s midline (an imaginary line down the centre of the body) is the movements of the arms and legs as they cross over from one side of the body to the other, also known as cross lateral movements. This is an important developmental skill needed for everyday tasks later in life, such as writing, using a bat and ball and reaching towards your foot to put on socks and shoes.

Below you will find a selection of experiences suitable for children aged 2-3.

Target roll

Support your child with crossing their midline as they practice their aiming skills during this ball experience.

Safety first

Ensure your child has enough room around them as they take part in this experience.

What to do

Invite your child to sit on the floor. Place the two targets across the room from them, ensuring one target is placed slightly to the left of them with the other target slighting to the right of them.

Encourage them to use the ball to roll this across the floor, seeing if they can aim to hit one of the targets. Encourage them to try rolling the ball to both targets so they practice rolling the ball to their left and right.

More Information

This exercise promotes your child with crossing their midline (an imaginary line down the centre of the body) which is the ability to reach across the middle of the body with the arms or legs crossing over to the opposite side. This is an important developmental skill needed for everyday tasks later in life, such as writing, using a bat and ball and reaching towards your foot to put on socks and shoes.

Sponge movements

Support your child with crossing their midline as they explore with water and sponges.

Safety first

Supervise your child during this experience. Ensure only a shallow bowl of water is used.

What to do

Invite your child to help wash a low level window or alternatively the ground outside can also be used. Role model to your child how to grasp the sponge with both hands as you dip this into the water before holding the sponge on the selected surface.
Continuing to hold the sponge with two hands, move your arms in a large circle motion so the sponge moves in a circle shape across the surface. Make these large circles in both directions.

Encourage your child to then choose a sponge as they copy your actions, ensuring they make large circular movements with the sponge so their arms cross their midline.

You could also show your child how you can move your arms from side to side with the sponge on the selected surface, seeing if they can copy these actions also.

More Information

This experience supports your child's bilateral coordination, which is the ability to use both sides of the body at the same time in a controlled manner.

Vehicle road

Promote your child's cross lateral movements as they take part in this vehicle themed experience.

Safety first

Ensure your child has space around them as they complete this experience.

What to do

Prior to this experience, lay out a line of paper or strips of cardboard on a non slip floor. If needed, use tape to secure the paper or cardboard in place.

Encourage your child to use their toy vehicles as they use one hand to push these along the made road.

Following a few goes at this, rather than just having the road in a line, place some of the paper or cardboard bearing to the right or left seeing if your child can follow the road with their vehicles round a turn or bend.

More Information

As your child reaches out to push the vehicles along the road, this supports them crossing their midline, which is a key developmental skill needed for everyday tasks such as being able to reach down and put on their own trousers or socks and shoes. It is also a vital skill needed for when your child learns to write, as they move their arm across the page from left to right.