🌟 Motricity Activity Sheet 🌟
Motor development for children with Down's syndrome
💜 Guide for families
This fact sheet contains fun activities designed to stimulate your child's fine and gross motor skills. Each activity is designed to be practised at home, with simple equipment, in an atmosphere of play and shared pleasure.
Key principle: Regularity is more important than intensity. 10-15 minutes a day is better than one long session a week!
Gross Motor Skills
Strengthen the body, balance and overall coordination
💃
Free dance
From 2 years
Put on some lively music and dance together! Encourage different movements: jumps, rotations, arm movements, squats.
💪 Benefits:
Balance, coordination, rhythm, general muscle strengthening, pleasure and self-confidence.
💡 Tip:
Vary the rhythms: slow/fast. Invent simple choreographies to repeat.
Ease of use:
🏞️
Obstacle course
3-8 years
Create a course with cushions, chairs and ropes on the floor. The child must: step over, crawl, jump, go around, under/over obstacles.
💪 Benefits:
Motor planning, dynamic balance, strength, overall coordination
💡 Tip:
Turn it into an adventure: "cross the jungle", "spy mission". Time it to add challenge.
Ease of use:
🏊
Water games
From 1 year
At the pool or in the bath: splash, grab floating toys, walk in the water, float with help, blow bubbles.
💪 Benefits:
Complete muscle strengthening, breathing, coordination, body confidence
💡 Tip:
Water facilitates movement thanks to buoyancy. Perfect for experimenting without the impact of hypotonia.
Ease of use:
⚽
Ball games
2-8 years
Roll, throw, catch, kick. Start with a large ball and gradually reduce the size.
💪 Benefits:
Hand-eye coordination, precision, strength, anticipation, social interactions
💡 Tip:
"Throw and catch" game sitting face to face. Aim at a basket or box to work on accuracy.
Ease of use:
🧘
Yoga for kids
3-10 years
Simple postures: tree, cat, frog, cobra. Hold each posture for 10-30 seconds. Breathe calmly.
💪 Benefits:
Postural tone, balance, flexibility, concentration, body awareness
💡 Tip:
Use yoga videos for children. Tell a story through a series of postures (journey into nature).
Ease of use:
🪜
Stairs and steps
Right from the start
Going up and down stairs every day. Start with support, progress to independence. Vary the pace.
💪 Benefits:
Leg strengthening, balance, coordination, endurance
💡 Tip:
Count the steps together. Sing a song. Tiptoe for variety.
Ease of use:
Fine motor skills
Developing precision and dexterity in the hands
🎨
Modelling clay
2-8 years
Crush, roll, pinch and stretch dough. Create balls, sausages, shapes. Use tools: plastic knives, cookie cutters.
💪 Benefits:
Hand and finger strength, precision, bimanual coordination, creativity
💡 Tip:
If too hard, make softer homemade dough. Hide small objects to find while kneading.
Ease of use:
📿
Stringing beads
3-8 years
String beads onto a rigid lace or pipe cleaner. Start with large beads, progress to smaller ones.
💪 Benefits:
Hand-eye coordination, precision, concentration, patience
💡 Tip:
Create color patterns to reproduce. Make bracelets or necklaces as a motivating goal.
Ease of use:
✂️
Cutting
3-7 years
Use appropriate scissors to cut: first strips of paper, then lines, then shapes.
💪 Benefits:
Hand strength, bimanual coordination, precision, motor planning
💡 Tip:
Draw wide lines to follow. Cut straws, tree leaves, colored paper to create collages.
Ease of use:
🖌️
Painting and drawing
From 2 years
Paint with brushes, fingers and sponges. Drawing with large-format pencils, felt-tip pens, chalk. Progress to finer tools.
💪 Benefits:
Gesture control, hand-eye coordination, creativity, writing preparation
💡 Tip:
Vary the supports: paper, cardboard, slate. Painting standing at the easel also reinforces posture.
Ease of use:
🧩
Puzzles
2-10 years
Start with recessed puzzles with buttons, progressing to 12, 20, 50 pieces depending on age and ability.
💪 Benefits:
Visuo-hand coordination, visual analysis, problem solving, precision
💡 Tip:
Start at the edges. Use a tray to avoid losing pieces. Do it together at first.
Ease of use:
🔩
Screwing and handling
3-7 years
Screw/unscrew plugs, use nut and bolt sets, clothespins, kitchen tongs, pipettes.
💪 Benefits:
Finger strength, wrist rotation, fine coordination, concentration
💡 Tip:
Create a "discovery basket" with different containers to open. Hang clothespins on cardboard.
Ease of use:
Functional activities
Developing autonomy in everyday activities
👔
Getting dressed
From age 3
Put on pants and sweater, close/open velcro, zippers, buttons (from largest to smallest). Practice daily.
💪 Benefits:
Autonomy, bimanual coordination, perseverance, self-confidence
💡 Tip:
Start by undressing (easier). Practice on clothes laid out on a table before wearing them.
Ease of use:
🥄
Eating alone
From 18 months
Hold and use spoon, fork and knife. Drink from a glass. Use a pitcher. Open simple containers.
💪 Benefits:
Food autonomy, hand-eye coordination, grip strength, concentration
💡 Tip:
Accept the mess! Use ergonomic cutlery at first. Poking at food is easier than picking it up.
Ease of use:
🚿
Toilet
3-8 years
Washing your hands, soaping up, brushing your teeth, styling your hair. Every gesture, repeated daily, becomes easier.
💪 Benefits:
Personal autonomy, bimanual coordination, hygiene, structuring routine
💡 Tip:
Break down each step. Use visual aids. Make it fun with songs (tooth brushing).
Ease of use:
💧
Pouring and decanting
2-6 years
Pour in dried beans, rice and sand. Pour water from pitcher to glass. Use spoon, ladle, small containers.
💪 Benefits:
Hand-eye coordination, fine motor control, concentration, preparation for food autonomy
💡 Tip:
Start with dry matter. Use tray/bin to harvest. Progress to liquids with small quantities.
Ease of use:
🧹
Household chores
3-10 years
Tidy up toys, pass a cloth, put laundry in the washing machine, fold towels, water plants. Contribute to family life.
💪 Benefits:
Varied motor skills, autonomy, self-esteem, social participation, empowerment
💡 Tip:
Give suitable, rewarding tasks. Give thanks for the help. Do things together in a good mood.
Ease of use:
🚪
Open/Close
2-7 years
Open doors, drawers, boxes, jars, bottles, various closures. Each type of mechanism requires different skills.
💪 Benefits:
Hand strength, coordination, wrist rotation, problem solving
💡 Tip:
Create a "mystery basket" with different closed containers holding surprises. Progress from the easiest to the most complex.
Ease of use:
📋 My Weekly Checklist
Check off the activities you've done this week. The aim is not perfection but regularity!
Dance or movement to music
Obstacle course
Ball games
Swimming or water games
Modelling clay
Stringing beads
Painting or drawing
Puzzles
Dressing practice
Handling meal utensils
Payout activities
Participation in housework