Activities for Children with Low Muscle Tone

If you’re a parent, you will absolutely feel worried if your newborn, infant or child has been diagnosed with low muscle tone. Or, if you just know something is not quite right with how your child is learning to move.

Here’s the thing: help is available and hope is real! We are a team of allied health professionals in Western Sydney, Australia, who have seen children live happy and productive childhoods with low muscle tone. The best thing you can do for your child is to keep them active and consistent with their exercises, and if you are worried – seek help! While low muscle tone will never completely go away, there are various activities your child can do to keep their muscles stable and strong:

Take Them to the Playground

When your child is old enough to run, jump, swing, and climb — take them to the playground! Children with low muscle tone need to utilise their entire muscular system to maintain stability and strength throughout their bodies. Your child will have the time of their life on the playground, without noticing the various structures targeting specific muscles as they play.

Helping Hands

You can incorporate showing your child how to help around the house with physical therapy by having them carry items! For example, ask your small child to carry a carton of milk or bag of groceries into the house. Not only will they feel like they’re doing their part to help their parents — but the added weight will build muscle!

Jumping on a Trampoline

Do you see the common theme here? Your child with low muscle tone should be as active as possible. While low muscle tone generally makes children feel more fatigued after physical activity, they will slowly gain strength and endurance with repetition. Jumping on a trampoline is fun— they may not even realise they’re engaging in physical therapy! You will gradually notice your child’s balance, endurance, and energy levels improve as they remain consistently active.

Home Obstacle Courses

Think Safety First! But also consider making it creative: could you play floor is lava or make an obstacle course with your furniture inside your home? Dining room chairs with a sheet over the top make great tunnels or take the sheet off and play climb over and under – under one chair, over the next. Empty ice cream containers with some string attached as handles can make steppers, old pillows on the floor as stepping-stones. What fun ways can you and your family move around your home?

Animal Walks

For kids over 2 who are confident walkers, avoid plain old walking around the house. How can you inspire them to use their bodies in unique ways when doing the routine (and often mundane) day to day life activities at home? Here are some of our favourites!

• Clean up your room like a frog
• Walk to the bathroom like a bear
• The Waiting Lizard: walk around the living room like a lizard while you wait for afternoon tea
• The Dancing Robot: complete brain gym cross crawl pattern. 15 per scoop of ice cream