The Best Ways To Teach Your Children Body Awareness

Does your child knock into people when they walk down the street? These actions might seem like a clumsy quirk — but they actually lack body awareness. As an adult, you might’ve forgotten that at one point, you didn’t know how to control and move your limbs correctly. That’s a skill we have to learn as toddlers, and your child likely needs some help in that department. 

Here are a few key ways to help your kids figure out how to master body awareness.

What Does Body Awareness Mean? 

Essentially, body awareness, or kinesthetic sense, refers to how you know where your body exists in space. It’s also about how you move your limbs, such as when you reach out to pick up a glass. This ability eventually becomes second nature as you develop your fine motor skills. 

As infants, we can somewhat distinguish between different limbs — but we don’t learn to perfect that trait until we’re older. It usually requires specific actions like play to help us realize how our bodies work. However, humans don’t know they use their proprioceptive system to develop body awareness. It’s a process that happens “behind the scenes” as we grow older. 

Actions like rolling over from your tummy to your back indicate improvement in kinesthetic senses. When your baby accomplishes such milestones, you know they’ve learned how to use their limbs in a specific way. That’s also shown in crawling, sitting and walking. 

It’s essential to continually support your kids’ body awareness growth. There are some related abilities that come naturally, but you should still work to boost their kinesthetic senses. If your child can’t seem to grasp techniques like writing, they may have a proprioceptive system problem you should discuss with their pediatrician. 

Take a look at some tricks you can use to build their body awareness.

1. Learn to Ride Bikes 

There’s nothing like learning how to ride bikes to bond with your kids. This childhood memory will stick with them forever — and you can teach them more body awareness skills. It’s the best way to have your kids use their legs and arms in conjunction. Plus, you can help them gain core strength to stay balanced. Scooters can achieve a similar experience.

2. Play Games Like “Simon Says” 

If your children are younger, they might not know how to label their body parts. Games like “Simon Says” will help them associate words with specific limbs. Ask them to touch their nose and lift their arms. It’s also smart to have them mirror other motions, such as pointing at the wall or picking up a plate. Feel free to include silly noises, too!

3. Do Hide and Seek 

What are spatial relationships? It’s how we understand concepts like “behind,” “inside,” “out of” and “under.” This knowledge helps us comprehend how objects exist in environments, which can further assist your child’s body awareness development. Though we’re born spacially aware, we can still nurture their abilities. 

Activities such as hide and seek will encourage children to grasp spatial relationships. When the seeker finds them, you should have them explain where they hid. This way, they can differentiate between being in front of and behind the couch. Then, your kids should be able to guide their bodies accordingly.

4. Have Impromptu Dance Parties 

Whenever your children need to let off some steam, you should have an impromptu dance party. These exercises can be an excellent way for kids to understand how their bodies move. Look into songs that call out specific commands, as well.  

This way, they can have fun while they figure out how their bodies work. Don’t hesitate to add your own instructions. Telling them to wave their hands in the air as they jump up and down would allow them to understand their bodies’ capabilities. Try focusing on whatever specific skills they need to develop.

5. Toss a Ball Around Outside 

It’s essential to work on hand-eye coordination, as well. Reflexes allow us to use our bodies without a second thought to respond to an action. If you help your kids improve their response times, they’ll become more aware.  

Toss a ball around in the backyard so they know how to move and position their arms and hands accurately. It can help to try football or baseball once your kids grasp the basics. These exercises will incorporate things like running and swinging in conjunction with catching the ball.

Use These Strategies to Improve Your Kids’ Kinesthetic Senses 

It might seem like second nature to pour a cup of coffee. However, your kids don’t readily know how to use their bodies in a similar way. This skill can develop over time by itself, but you should still use a few tricks to help your children develop their body awareness. These ideas will help.