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home / Blog / Activities / foundations / five activities for crossing the midline (and why it’s important)

five activities for crossing the midline (and why it’s important)

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November 1, 2013 by Teach Mama 7 Comments

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The following guest post is written by the amazing Devany LeDrew. Devany is a former Kindergarten who now shares adventures with her children–most often playing, learning, and remembering–on her blog Still Playing School. Check it out.

———————————

6 activiies for crossing the midline

Our 10 month old son has been crawling for a few months so he’s already accomplished a pivotal achievement in learning to read and write.

Wait, what? A milestone in infancy is vital for literacy development?  Yes, because crawling is one of the first ways that babies practice crossing their midline!

Five Activities for Crossing the Midline (and Why It’s Important)

Let’s imagine an invisible line running down the human body separating the left side from the right called the midline.  When my baby crawls, he uses opposite sides of his body simultaneously. When my preschooler physically uses her body to cross that divide (by using her right hand to reach something on the left side of her body, for example) she is crossing her midline.

In both of these scenarios my children are using movements which cause their brains to communicate across their corpus callosum.  This thick cable of nerves allows their two brain hemispheres to communicate.  The practice is vital for higher level skills like reading and writing.  By moving in new ways, we build and strengthen new pathways in the brain.

Most children will naturally learn to cross their midline as they grow, but some need occupational therapy to work on this task.  There are creative, fun, and intentional ways to play while practicing crossing the midline!

Here are five to get you started!

1.  Crawl, crawl, crawl

I encourage my preschooler to crawl with her baby brother by getting down on the floor to crawl myself!  We build obstacle courses with pillows and soft toys to navigate while crawling.

Five Activities for Crossing the Midline (and Why It’s Important)

2.  Baby Cross Crawls

While you sing songs to your baby or child, intentionally touch his left foot to his right hand and vice versa.  You can tap to the rhythm of the music or teach body part names in this way.

You can challenge your older child to touch her left knee with her right elbow and vice versa.  This is trickier than it looks!

Five Activities for Crossing the Midline (and Why It’s Important)

3.  Wash Large Objects

My preschooler loves to help wash windows or our cars with special wipes or a sponge.  I ask her to hold the tool with both hands wiping back and forth in large motions as she cleans so that she is crossing her midline frequently.

4.  Dance, Sway, and Play with Ribbon Wands

You can create your own ribbon wands with a paint stirrer (or just hold a scarf in one hand for the same effect).  Model how to cross the midline while dancing for your child by making figure eights and rainbow arcs with the ribbon. A great song to practice moving and grooving with is Shake Your Reader Ribbons by Pam Schiller

Five Activities for Crossing the Midline (and Why It’s Important)

5.  Play Passing Games

Challenge children to pass a ball from a friend on the left to a friend on the right by moving their arms but not turning their whole bodies.  Friends may sit in a line or in a circle for this activity.  For two children, have them sit back to back and pass the ball from the left side across their bellies and back over to the right.

 

still playing school

For more from Devany LeDrew, please visit Still Playing School where she uses her background in early childhood to create a home based playful learning environment for her children. She is a former Kindergarten teacher who followed her passions to specialize in Educational Psychology & Literacy Education.  She is the mother of three, grieving the loss of one. Follow Still Playing School on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Devany, for sharing!  I learned SO much from this piece!

 

Looking for more activities to promote fine and gross motor in your little loves?

Stop by and follow these great educational Pinterest boards, filled with indoor fun ideas to engage children in fun activities to promote the development of these foundational skills:

  • Sensory Activities  |  D @ Still Playing School
  • Preschool Activities  |  D @ Still Playing School
  • Handprint Projects  |  D @ Still Playing School
  • foundations  |  teachmama
  • movin’ and groovin’  |  teachmama

 

Check out a few other posts that may help you develop strong and healthy habits for your family:

  • wait time
  • my day, your day
  • frozen peas
  • kids who rock the kitchen
  • kids who rock the laundry
  • rest time
  • gem jars
  • arm circles
  • noticing kids
  • homework routine

 

Cheers, and happy reading during this incredibly exciting journey!

A few more literacy-related posts worth reading. . . (click on image to read!)
what to say when kids make reading mistakes teachmama.com.png
5 things to never say to emerging reader
literacy terms every parent must know
talk to kids about books
how to help kids choose just right books
Want a little more help with all things literacy?  
Follow Teach Mama’s board literacy on Pinterest.

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy. 

About the Author

Hi, I’m Patricia, an elementary teacher and reading specialist, turned homeschool mom. I also have a master's in psychology, specializing in children's issues. Read More…

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Comments

  1. Kim says

    November 1, 2013 at 11:06 am

    Thank you for reminding me of the importance of focusing on the skill of crossing the midline. I loved using various activities in my classroom based on my Brain Gym Training as a teacher and saw their impact in a variety of ways.

    Reply
    • Teach Mama says

      November 1, 2013 at 11:51 am

      Kim! I had no idea about this–so it’s been a tremendously helpful post for me!

      Reply
  2. Still Playing School says

    November 1, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    Thanks so much, ladies! I’ve found that just by tweaking activities that we do regularly, I can work midline crossing practice into so many things that we already do!

    Reply
  3. Sue Hahn says

    November 10, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    Thanks! I was so glad to see this!! I’ve noticed that the new, young teachers aren’t all taught this in college…when I talk about it, they look at me like I’m crazy! Now I can share this article! I would like to see it in a printable format as well. When I tried to print from the site, the pictures didn’t print.

    Reply
  4. Enid Teo says

    January 26, 2015 at 1:46 am

    Thanks for sharing.. fabulous.

    Reply
  5. W says

    January 26, 2015 at 5:46 pm

    Check your references about crossing midline/crawling. Crawling is a reciprocal movement, but this is not a midline crossing activity.

    Reply
    • Teach Mama says

      January 26, 2015 at 7:06 pm

      thanks, friend. will do!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Patricia, an elementary teacher and reading specialist, turned homeschool mom.

After our three kids graduated high school, I went back to school to become a marriage and family therapist who has specialized in children’s issues.

I love helping families find all the fun and deep learning possible for their children.

I’m so glad you’re here on Teach Mama and I look forward to helping you on your journey!

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