10 Games to Practice Crossing Midline

Crossing midline is the ability to cross over an imaginary line down the center of your body from head to toes, separating the body into a left and right side. This skill requires that the right and left sides of the brain work together to create a motor action. Here are 10 games to play to practice crossing midline:

Participating in a tug of war. A fun game of tug of war encourages hands to midline, hands to cross the midline and excellent proprioceptive input.

Play with toy cars. Draw a big road on a flattened cardboard box. The child can sit on the floor and drive the car along the road crossing the midline.

Relay races that encourage bilateral coordination skills. Run to a cone and complete 10 windmills or 10 cross crawls and return to start. Line up children shoulder to shoulder and pass the ball down the line from child to child. Line up children back to back. Pass the ball to each other keeping your backs touching.

Play baseball. Holding onto a bat and swinging at a ball (on a tee or pitched) encourage the hands to cross the midline.

Play tennis. Hit a tennis ball with different shots. Each shot encourages a different trajectory across the midline. Practice a forehand swing, backhand swing, and overhead serve. If you do not have a tennis racquet or it is too difficult for the child, makes paper plate paddles and use a balloon practicing the same swings.

Participate in musical circle games. Certain musical games encourage children to maintain rhythm (super important skill) and cross the midline. Play hot potato but you must hold the ball with two hands at all times. Dance the hokey pokey.

Play clapping games. Girls, in particular, love to play clapping games. Teach children Miss Mary Mack or check out You Tube to learn new hand claps.

Make big art. Tape a square box to the floor. Have the child stand in it in front of the whiteboard or chalkboard. Try making the biggest rainbow that you can but do not move your feet. Snap a photo when done to save a picture of the big art. Try creating this long maze that encourages the child to cross the midline. The freebie will open in a new tab.

Dig in the dirt or sand. Have the child sit down, kneel or squat. Place a bucket on one side of the child and the shovel on the other side. Have the child dig and then rotate to place the dirt in the bucket. Do not let the child switch hands with the shovel when going to put the dirt in the bucket.

Play Simon Says. Use instructions and movement such as “put your right hand on your left shoulder” or “touch your left knee with your right hand”. Download this free sample Simon Says page for children to copy body positions crossing midline. Play Simon Says Exercise Ball style.