Movement games ‚walk like animals‘ are sensory-motor activities that are not only a lot of fun, but also have a great therapeutic effect for integrating remaining reflexes and as training for coordination, strengthening body awareness and calming hyperactive behavior.
Many children with developmental delays still have unresolved early movement disorders. and reflex patterns that make regulation and learning more difficult. You need specific movement experiences before they can understand and actively engage in their own development. Movement games such as „How animals walk“ enable exactly that: learning through the body, non-verbally, rhythmically and effectively.
While the child's focus is on the fun factor, e.g. fast, funny horse games and riding on dad, our focus is on making this more fun. to practise the coordination of arms and legs on the right and left, slowly and deliberately, not hastily and quickly. To to catch up on missing movement patterns and create new brain connections, it is important to visualize the animal movements. not just in your head, but actually practicing it physically over and over again.
As an adult you can do this with Support play ideas that include elements that require and promote attention, coordinate both halves of the body, and combine relationship-oriented aspects of DIRFloortime with physical movement games and thus help to promote development. The main focus here is on calm, floor-based forms of movement on the stomach, such as Crocodile, seal, bear or even the crab, that promote deep body awareness, strength, rhythm and bilateral integration, especially effective, e.g.
- How does a seal slowly get to its food at the other end of the corridor?
- How does the crocodile get to his crocodile baby on the other side of the room? - Crocodiles lie immhe flat on the floor, and when they move forward, they wiggle from side to side. They are also looking for food or need to go to the toilet!
- Or can you Krabbe? - aOn all fours, but with your stomach up?
🐻 Bear
- Keep your arms and legs stretched.
- Hands and feet flat on the floor and round back.
- Walk slowly, swaying from side to side.
- Movement sequence: right arm - right foot - left arm - left foot.
🐊 Crocodile
Crocodiles always lie flat on the ground. When they move forward, they wobble from side to side.
- The child is lying on its stomach on the floor with its arms bent.
- Move forward by stretching out one arm and bending the leg on the same side, then the other side.
- Roll onto your back and try to move in the same way (real crocodiles would use their tail to roll over again, just like a turtle uses its neck).
🐫 Camel
- Cross your arms behind your back and hold the opposite elbows.
- Bend forward at the waist, keep your head up and your gaze forward.
- Walk slowly, lifting your heels after each step.
- Keep your distance so that you don't get kicked.
- Form a (suitably spaced) camel train.
🐸 Frog
- Squat down with your feet apart.
- Place your hands on the floor in front of you and shift your weight onto them.
- The arms are straight between the knees, the weight is on them.
- Stretch your legs quickly to catapult yourself forward.
🦀 Crab
- On all fours, but with your stomach facing upwards.
- Walk forwards, backwards and sideways.
- Hold one hand in the same place and walk around it in a circle.
- Move a ball through the room with your dominant foot.
- Shoot the ball into the goal.
🐛 Caterpillar/ inchworm (Inchworm)
The Inchworm moves by bending its body in the middle, pulling its back and then stretching out its front.
- Get down on all fours and distribute your weight evenly between your hands and feet.
- With your back arched and your arms and legs straight: Walk your hands forward until your back is straight.
- Then walk forward with your feet as close to your hands as possible without bending your knees.
🦒 Giraffe
- Stretch your arms straight up next to your ears and hook your thumbs together to form a giraffe's head.
- Keep your legs straight and walk on your toes to be as tall as possible.
- Bend forward slowly and „drink“ with the giraffe's head.
- The legs must remain stretched and the arms must always be moved along the ears.
🐘 Elephant
- Bend forward at the waist, keep your arms and legs straight and interlock your hands.
- The arms are now a trunk and may only come off if the elephant is seriously ill.
- Walk slowly and swing your trunk from side to side.
- Swing the trunk low to touch your ankles.
- „Pick“ grass with your trunk and bring it to your mouth.
- Lift up the trunk to spray water everywhere.
- Hold elephant tooting competitions.
- Draw horizontal figure eights with the trunk.
🦘 Kangaroo
- Always keep both legs together.
- Clamp a bean bag or pillow between your knees and don't let it fall.
- Hold your arms close to your chest, elbows bent, palms facing forward.
- Jump around or follow certain paths while maintaining your posture.
🐰 Rabbit
- Squat down and place both hands on the floor in front of you at the same time.
- Shift your weight to your hands.
- Jump forward with your feet between your hands while keeping your hands on the floor.
- Jump like a rabbit through a hoop.
🐶 Puppy
- Get on all fours, bend your legs and elbows slightly.
- Keep your head up, look forward and romp around like a playful puppy.
🐕 Dog
- Get on all fours, bend your legs and elbows slightly.
- Move the opposite arm and leg at the same time (left arm, right leg and vice versa).
- Stretch your arms and legs for „downward facing dog“ (yoga).
- Lift one leg, like a dog marking/peeing.
🐱 Cat
- On all fours: Arch your back upwards, head and gaze downwards.
- Then raise your head and hollow your back (yoga movement).
🐧 Seal
- Lie flat on a mat, elbows bent, legs straight.
- Hands at shoulder height with palms facing down.
- Support yourself with your arms so that they bear your weight.
- Keep your legs straight and „run“ with your arms, pulling your toes behind you.
🐴 Mule kick
- Bend forward at the waist and place your hands on the mat with your palms facing down.
- Shift your weight onto your hands, keep your feet together and kick them backwards.
🐓 Chicken / Rooster
- Standing: Grab the left foot behind you with your right hand.
- Jump around for a while - forwards and backwards.
- Switch hands and feet so that you are holding your right foot with your left hand and standing on your left foot.
