|  | Family Health | Childrens Health

Activities for the Physical Development of Six Year Olds

By the time children turn six years old, they should have fairly well developed physical dexterity, an ability to balance, fine motor skills and basic coordination. Certainly, some activities will be easier for some than for others. You never want to let your six year old think that you're deliberately testing his physical development, but you can get a good idea of their physical development while also making it fun.

  1. Checking Balance

    • Making sure that you're six year old has the appropriate balancing ability can be made fun. You can make up some very simple games, and even participate with your six-year-old. To check for balance, ask your six-year-old to pretend to walk a tight rope with arms out at their sides, heel to toe. Make it a contest. Whoever makes it from point X to point Y first, wins! A six year old should also be able to ride a bike without the use of training wheels. Go on bike rides with your six-year-old or as a family. Ride to the park or make it a day outside, have a picnic and ride to your destination.

    Checking Coordination

    • There are lots of different ways to check for coordination. Bouncing a ball, whether a basketball, tennis ball or yard ball, shows coordination. The smaller the ball, the more coordination it requires. Skipping rope also shows the development of coordination as well as skipping and galloping. Set up an obstacle course that requires the six year old to gallop, skip and bounce a ball, amongst other challenges.

    Checking Hand Dexterity

    • At the age of six, children should be able to eat with utensils and hold them properly, draw more difficult shapes such as diamonds and triangles, and hold a writing implement the correct way; with the thumb, index and middle fingers. Create fun games that include drawing various shapes and, if necessary, help with the correct handling of eating and writing utensils.

    Checking Fine Motor Skills

    • Checking fine motor skills can be accomplished by simply observing a couple of different things. First, tying shoe laces should be something that a six year old can do. Whether by making one loop and wrapping the other lace around it or making two loops and crossing them over one another. The other task to observe is whether or not the six-year-old can button a shirt and do up a zipper.

Childrens Health - Related Articles