15 Nov Can your child hop on one leg easily
Can your child walk along a straight line easily 
Can your child jump over a skipping rope held by their 
Did you know that children should be walk along a straight line placing heel to toe comfortably , hop on one leg effectively to play hopscotch and jump over a rope 15cm off the ground by 4 years old
By 6 years old when a child starts school, they should be able to master hopping one spot, skipping with alternate legs down the street and throwing a ball up into the air and catching it easily
Not being able to do these activities will often mean that a child struggles to keep up with their peers in the school playground. Over time this often means that the child is excluded from play by others or often picked last to join a team. 
Here at My Favourite Physio, we see lots of children who have gross motor skills delay and help them learn to run, hop, skip and jump! We know that being able to walk isn’t enough to “survive” in the school playground. Recently, we met a 12 year old girl who has mild Cerebral Palsy, which means that she can walk without any aids but she is unable to run effectively or jump or hop. With tears in her eyes, she recounts how she has been failing badly at sports in the past 7 years of school and how she’s constantly bullied for the way she runs and how she can’t play sports. Now as she looks toward moving to high school, it is heart breaking 
to see how much she fears not being able to play sports is going to affect her high school life. Fortunately, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists at My Favourite Physio are able to help her and we have tailored a personalised therapy program for her to help her improve her gross motor skills. 
We know that although we cannot change the past, we can do something now to change her future. 
So if you have noticed that your child is not able to run, hop skip or jump, don’t ignore it! Have your child’s gross motor skills assessed today by an Expert Paediatric Physiotherapist! Ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 and book an appointment with one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today.