What young children can do
Young children with good leg muscle strength and coordination are able to stand up from sitting on a 10-15 cm high step without needing to push up with their hands.
Young children with good coordination also know how to use momentum when standing up from a very low step. This involves tipping the trunk forwards very fast, and swinging the arms forwards to assist with lifting the buttocks up off the step.
They are able to squat down and stand up easily, and can squat down half way and maintain the position.
Children who are not very active, who have joint hypermobility or DCD often do not have the leg muscle strength needed to perform these activities easily.
Training activities
Standing up from a low step
In this training activity you encourage the child to stand up and sit down again several times in succession, from a step height that requires some effort to complete the task.
First determine the height of the step needed for training
Let your child sit on a 20 cm high step and encourage him to stand up and sit down again, several times.
- Is he able to stand up easily, without pushing up on his hands? Is he able to sit down again in a controlled manner?
- If he has difficulties standing up from a 20 cm high step, then this is the right height for training.
- However if he is able stand up easily, use a 10 cm high step for training.
Games to encourage sitting down and standing up
The Stand up! Sit down! game
Sit down on a stool facing your child and call out: "Sit down". You both sit down. Then call out: Stand up. Let your child take over leading the game.
The game may become a little wild and fast - this is fine because fast movements require more effort and have a stronger training effect.
Sit down very slowly
You can play this game with children from about the age of 3 years.
Stand in front of a step, facing your child. Sit down very slowly, and encourage your child to do the same. Stand up at a normal pace.
► You can make this more difficult by stopping halfway down and holding the position for a few counts.
► Or you can alternate between sometimes sitting down slowly, and sometimes going fast.
Packing balls away
Let you child sit on a step, facing a box on a table. Put a box full of balls next to the step.
► Encourage the child to sit down, pick up a ball and put it into the box on the table. Finish the task by moving all the balls from one box to the other.