This is week 3 of Holiday tips, and we will focus on the vestibular system.
The vestibular system provides the brain with information about where the body is in space and how it moves.
It contributes to the development of postural control, muscle tone, and bilateral coordination and interferes with the level of arousal, attention, and emotional regulation.
Here are some ideas of vestibular games that can help to keep all family members regulated and, of course, have fun!
Dancing!
Dancing is always a great idea. It provides fantastic stimulation for the vestibular system, and it supports body and spatial awareness, balance, coordination and sequencing.
Doing an imitation game and adding challenges can be interesting and fun for the kids at home.
“Acrogames”
Forward rolls, handstands, cartwheels, or family acroyoga… exploring movement and learning new skills through play can be a fantastic experience. It stimulates the vestibular system while creating joyful and shared moments with family.
You can try it at home or in the garden — just clear some space and go upside down!
Having a spotter is always important during these fun “acrogames.”
Jumping games!
Jumping can be an easy action, but it can become a great activity to activate the vestibular system.
Skipping, trampolining or jumping in a bed if there are no other options available can be great activities for kids when they need to receive vestibular information.
It can range from a simple jumping game to more structured activities with rules, depending on the children’s ages.
As an example, the image on the right-hand side corner: playing basketball on the trampoline with the extra difficulty of having soap on the feet. This game would go from easy to more difficult, and finding the just right challenge would depend on the kid. It could start without soap, just playing on the trampoline, then adding the basket and then adding more challenges (for example, the soap).
A helpful tip would be to use proprioceptive activities in between vestibular games, which can help to maintain an optimal level of alertness and regulation in the case of feeling that there is too much vestibular activation. You can find ideas in our previous post:
Next day we will focus on the interoceptive system…
See you in the next post of Holiday tips!