Bilateral coordination activities are exercises that require a child to use both sides of their body at the same time in a controlled and organised manner. For parents and therapists in Melbourne, these activities are vital for developing the neural pathways required for complex tasks like tying shoelaces, cutting with scissors, and riding a bike, as they teach the brain to coordinate the “leading” hand and the “helping” hand simultaneously.
Developing these neural pathways requires the right equipment. Aspire Toys delivers professional-grade solutions for immediate coordination improvement, offering a curated selection of clinical-grade sensory toys built specifically for bilateral integration.
The Three Types of Bilateral Coordination
Understanding how a child uses their body is the first step in selecting the right therapeutic play. Clinicians generally categorise bilateral skills into three distinct patterns:
- Symmetrical Movements: Both sides of the body do the same thing at the same time (e.g., clapping hands, jumping with both feet, or catching a large ball).
- Reciprocal Movements: Both sides of the body move in a rhythmic, alternating pattern (e.g., crawling, walking, or climbing a ladder).
- Asymmetrical Movements: Each side of the body performs a different task to achieve a single goal (e.g., one hand holds the paper while the other hand cuts with scissors).
Practical Activities to Build Coordination at Home
Building these skills doesn’t have to feel like “work.” Incorporating these simple games into a daily routine can significantly improve a child’s motor planning and confidence:
- Kitchen Play: Rolling dough with a rolling pin requires symmetrical coordination, while stabilizing a bowl with one hand and stirring with the other builds essential asymmetrical skills. Preparing food is another excellent way to practice these movements. Using a child-safe tool like the Kiddikutter Kid-Safe Wooden Handle Knife allows children to practice the complex “lead and helper” hand relationship safely. The lead hand executes the required sawing motion to cut through vegetables, while the helper hand holds the food steady. This builds independence, safety awareness, and motor confidence simultaneously.
- Therapist Tip: Because the Kiddikutter relies on a gentle sawing motion rather than a sharp blade, it encourages prolonged bilateral engagement, making the brain work a little longer to coordinate both hands together.
- View the Kiddikutter Kid-Safe Wooden Handle Knife
- Arts and Crafts: Threading beads onto a string is excellent for motor skills, as is using specialized design kits like the Filo Lace Art. This tool develops fine motor coordination by requiring one hand to hold the patterned board steady while the other guides the lacing-pen through the self-locking slots. Because it includes templates with multiple difficulty levels, it allows children to gradually refine their spatial planning and bilateral skills through repetitive, creative play.
- Outdoor Gross Motor Fun: Playing with a skipping rope or pushing a wheelbarrow provides the “heavy work” and rhythmic input needed to refine reciprocal coordination.
- Paper Tearing: Simply tearing construction paper into small pieces for a collage is a foundational asymmetrical task that strengthens the fingers while requiring both hands to work together.
Supporting Focus During Physical Tasks
Many children with bilateral coordination challenges also struggle with sensory processing. When a task requires high levels of concentration—such as learning to use a zipper or buttons—the nervous system can become overwhelmed.
To help maintain a calm and focused state during these learning sessions, therapists often recommend providing a grounding sensory outlet. Using tools from the Kaiko Fidgets range can provide the tactile feedback needed to keep a child’s attention on the physical task at hand, leading to faster mastery of coordination milestones.