Bilateral Coordination
    Children learn to use both sides of their bodies in stages.  
    given two objects, they may bang them together.  Later they
    learn that they can keep one hand still and while the other
    moves.  Eventually they achieve the higher level skill of being
    able to use both hands at the same time but each doing hand
    and something different, such as holding a book with one
    Children turning pages with the other.turning pages with the
    other.
Bilateral coordination is the ability to use both sides of the body at the same time
in a controlled and organized manner. This can mean using both sides to do the
same thing, as in pushing a rolling pin, using alternating movements such as when
walking, or using different movements on each side, such as when cutting with
scissors while holding and controlling the paper with the other hand.
Therapy Street for Kids
Simple Symmetrical Activities
  • Blow bubbles and reach with both hands to pop them
  • Pull cotton balls apart, glue on paper to make a picture
  • Tear strips of paper, paste on paper to make a collage
  • Squeeze, push and pull on clay, putty, play doh or modeling foam
  • Pull apart construction toys (Duplos, Legos) with both hands
  • Roll play doh, putty or clay with rolling pins
  • Percussion toys: symbols, drums (both hands together), etc.
  • Play with a toy Accordion
  • Pull apart and push together crinkle tubes
  • Play Zoom Ball
  • Penny flipping: line up a row of pennies, start flipping with each hand at the far end until they meet in the middle
  • Penny flipping: line up in an oval, start at the top with both hands and flip pennies simultaneously until hands meet at the bottom
  • Jump rope
  • Ball play: throw and catch with both hands together
  • Bounce a large ball with 2 hands, throw or push a ball with 2 hands

Alternating movements
  • Drum or Bongos: with both hands one at a time (reciprocally); try to imitate a rhythm
  • Ride a tricycle or bicycle
  • Air biking: while on your back, raise your feet up toward the ceiling and pretend you're pedalling a bike
  • Walking, running, skipping, swimming
  • Play follow the leader hopping on one foot, then the other; then 2 to 3 times on each foot, alternate repetitions and feet; add arm
    motions to increase the challenge
  • Juggle scarves

Activities that require different skill sets for each hand
  • Cut out all types of things with scissors: cut straws and then string up pieces for jewelry, cut play doh or putty, cut up greeting
    cards and make a collage, cut styrofoam packing peanuts
  • Spread peanut butter, or any spread on crackers, frost cookies; be sure to hold the cracker or cookie still
  • String beads to make jewelry
  • Coloring, writing, drawing: be sure the other hand is holding down the paper
  • Trace around stencils: the helper hand holds the stencil down firmly while the other
    draws around the stencil

Body Awareness activities
  • Simon Says, Hokey Pokey
  • Wheelbarrow walking
  • Crawl on all fours: forward, backward, sideways or change direction on command.
  • Crawl through an obstacle course
  • Animal Walking: Gorilla crouch walking, Bear walking, Inchworm walking, Snake crawling, Bird walking, Crab walking.  These are all
    illustrated here:  Animal & Bug Walks
    Being able to coordinate both sides of the body is an indication that both sides of the brain are
    communicating and sharing information with each other.  Having good bilateral coordination allows
    the hands and feet to work well together.  This is important for accomplishing many daily activities
    such as walking, climbing stairs, playing musical instruments, stirring food in a bowl, using tools that
    require two hands and having full visual awareness of the environment.  A child with poor
    coordination of both sides of the body may have difficulty controlling one hand while the other hand
    is doing something else.  Two handed, or footed, tasks are challenging and difficult to accomplish.  
    There may be an uneven focus, such as when cutting, concentrating on the hand that's using the
    scissors and being unaware of the other hand that has to control and move the paper simultaneously.
Activities
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