Opposite Sides Working Together
Bilateral Skills in Early Childhood
We take for granted how often we rely on bilateral coordination skills in daily activities and play routines.
Both sides of the brain must communicate effectively in order for a child to perform these skills.
If a child struggles with bilateral coordination, they may have difficulty with self-help tasks, fine and gross motor activities, and visual-motor skills such as:
Two foundational skills that bilateral coordination relies on are crossing the midline and body awareness.
Benchmarks to identify bilateral skills according to your child’s age:
Other Activities to encourage bilateral coordination:
Legos
Magnatiles
Balloon volleyball
Creating crafts - ripping/crumbling paper, pulling cotton balls, opening marker lids
Catch/throw games
Play-doh - pinching, pulling, squeezing, cutting
Stringing dry noodles
Mr. Potato Head
Cooking/baking activities - icing cookies, stirring, spreading peanut butter
Yoga
KTL suggests the following resources for parents:
Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel
The ABCs of Yoga for Kids: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by Teresa Anne Power