By: Meghan Matusiak, MS OTR/L

You may be wondering, “what am I supposed to do with a scooter board and how will this help my child?” This small piece of equipment gets a lot of use in Occupational Therapy, and not just because it is fun.

Incorporating a scooter board into an activity can target an array of skills in a fun and interesting way. They can work on skills such as core strengthening, upper body strengthening, bilateral coordination, endurance, and motor planning. Additionally, scooter board activities can help children with sensory processing disorders receive proprioceptive and vestibular input.  

Here are 5 fun activities to use a scooter board at home!

Completing a puzzle

  • Set-up puzzle pieces around a large but safe designated area.
  • Have your child lay prone (on belly) over the scooter board or sitting on it.
    • If prone (on belly), have your child use their arms and hands to move.
    • If sitting, have your child use their legs and feet to move.
  • Have your child move the scooter board around the room to retrieve 1-2 puzzle pieces at a time to bring back to the center.
  • Have them continue to retrieve the pieces and bring them to the center until the puzzle is complete.

Body bowling

  • Have your child lay prone (on belly) over the scooter board or sitting on it.
    • If prone (on belly), have your child use their arms and hands to move.
    • If sitting, have your child use their legs and feet to move.
  • Set up bowling pins, cardboard boxes, shoe boxes, or anything stackable at one end of the room.
  • Have your child start at one end of the room in order to ride the scooter board to knock over the stacked items.

Obstacle course with objects to move around

  • Set up objects (cones, pillows, chairs, toys) around a designed area for your child to scoot around. Have them complete the obstacle course X amount of times.
  • Have your child lay prone (on belly) over the scooter board or sitting on it.
    • If prone (on belly), have your child use their arms and hands to move.
    • If sitting, have your child use their legs and feet to move.

Pull child with rope/hula hoop

  • Have your child lay prone (on belly) over the scooter board or tailor sitting (criss-cross applesauce) on it.
  • Whether your child is prone or sitting, have them hold onto a rope or hula hoop using their hands
  • Pull your child around a large but safe designated area. While you pull, have your child pull the rope/hula-hoop as well

Scooter soccer

  • This activity is made for two or more children.
  • Set-up a designed area for a “field” and two goals.
  • Use a soft ball or balloon.
  • Have the children sit on the scooter.
    • Have the children use their legs to move around the room and use their hands to hold onto the handles.
  • Once the ball is in place, the children will move around the room on the scooter board kicking the ball with their feet while moving.

If you would like more information about occupational therapy or the services we offer here at CommuniKids, contact us! We would love to hear from you!