The 12 Best Balance Exercises for Kids

Practicing balance exercises is great for kids to work their core muscles, lower back, and legs along with their coordination, balance, and gross motor skills.

Still, some kids find these exercises challenging when not combined with fun activities or games. You don’t have to worry. Here are the most fun exercises for kids to enjoy while improving their balance skills.

Fun Balance and Coordination Exercises for Kids

There are two forms of balance that individuals need to build in childhood: static balance and dynamic balance. While static balance refers to the ability to hold the body and posture in a specific position, like sitting or standing still, dynamic balance refers to being able to maintain balance while moving or walking.

To help you support your kid's balance skills while they are having fun, we’ve compiled all the best balance exercises for kids. Get ready to learn every detail you need about balance skills and discover the most fun balance exercises for kids on your way. Let’s get started!

1. Tree Pose

The tree pose is one of the most beneficial basic standing balance exercises for kids as it requires maintaining static balance while standing on one leg. Tree Pose, which is among the best yoga poses for kids, is easy to perform and great for stretching and improving the core and lower body muscles.

How to do it:

• Start with the mountain pose by keeping both feet planted firmly on the ground.
• Choose the leg you are going to fold in first. If your left leg is your standing leg, keep your left foot planted on the ground, and slowly bend your right leg at the right knee so that your right foot rests against your left inner thigh.
• Point the knee of your bent leg outward, away from your body.
• Raise your arms above your head and keep your head, shoulders, pelvis, and left foot aligned vertically.
• Hold the pose for as long as necessary.
• When you’re ready to switch legs, exhale and return to mountain pose to start again.

2. MentalUP Fitness

With its fitness feature, the MentalUP app is a great resource, including a variety of fun exercises and balance activities for kids. The app includes all the fundamental exercises in easy, medium, and hard levels and enables kids to perform them easily with animated videos.

How to exercise with MentalUP fitness:

• Go to Google Play or App Store
• Download the MentalUP app.
• Open the app on a PC, tablet, or smartphone.
• Take the test to discover the best exercises that suit your kid's fitness level, age, and interest.
• Start expanding your kid's physical abilities and balance skills with a unique exercise program.

3. Indoor Hopscotch Jumps

If you need an idea to turn any balance challenge into a fun activity, turning good old outdoor hopscotch into an indoor exercise may work well. It is great for improving dexterity, dynamic balance, and working all the muscles in the body.

How to do it:

• Put tape on the floor to create a hopscotch course with nine squares.
• Get a coin, stone, or bean bag and throw it into the first square.
• Hop into the first empty square while standing on one foot and then every subsequent empty square.
• Make sure to skip the one your marker is on.
• Jump with both feet at the same time on the pairs (4-5 and 7-8).
• At 10, hop with both feet, turn around, and head back toward the start.
• When you reach the marked square again, pick up the marker while standing on one foot and complete the course.

4. Balance the Book

Balancing a book on the head is one of the classic dynamic balance exercises for kids. The exercise enables kids to improve their postural control, balance, and coordination by encouraging them to use all their core muscles properly.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, with your arms at your sides and your belly button pulled back toward your spine.
• Elongate your neck, but keep your chin parallel to the floor.
• Balance a book on your head and begin to walk slowly.
• Take 10 steps, turn around, and walk back 10 steps.
• If you want to make it more challenging, you can try the exercise on a balance beam.
• When you are finished with the exercise, repeat it five more times.

5. Knee-Up and Extend

Knee-up and extend is one of the most challenging and high-level balance exercises for kids. This knee extension exercise strengthens the quadricep muscles and enables kids to practice static and dynamic balance at the same time.

How to do it:

• Stand still with your hands on your hips; shift your weight to the right foot.
• Lift your left foot slightly, so just the ball of the foot is touching the ground and lift your knee.
• Bring your left leg down and extend it out to the side without letting the foot touch the ground.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat the exercise 10 times and then switch to the other leg.

6. Figure-4 Lunge

You’ve probably heard about the lunge exercise before. It is good in many ways, but this particular one is great for strengthening core muscles and improving kids' movement, mobility, and balance skills.

How to do it:

• Stand on your left leg and keep your hands on your hips.
• Bend your right knee and place the toes of your right foot behind your left calf.
• Turn your right knee out, and bend your left knee.
• Step back to the right on a diagonal with your right foot flat and toes turned out.
• Push off with your right foot and straighten your left leg to return to the starting position.
• Repeat this set of movements 10 times before switching to the other leg.

7. Juggling

Juggling exercises require the use of motor skills, attention, concentration, and balance at the same time. So it is one of the most effective brain balance exercises for kids. Also, it is good for working upper body muscles.

How to do it:

• Hold the ball in one hand and toss it into your other hand. Start practicing this for a while until you get faster.
• Toss the ball up and catch it with the opposite hand. Continue with that movement until you feel competent.
• Then, when you feel ready, toss the ball high, catch it with the opposite hand, and then toss it directly across to the opposite hand.
• Do this for three minutes and extend the time as you get used to it.

8. Reaction Tennis

If your kids are interested in playing tennis, you can utilize this one to diversify their exercise routine. Reaction tennis improves upper and lower muscle tone, strength, and flexibility. It also enables kids to practice their reaction and coordination skills, which makes it one of the best standing balance exercises for kids.

How to do it:

• Get a wall, a racquet, and a tennis ball for each participant.
• Hit the ball against the wall several times in a row.
• Count the number of hits you’re able to make in a row and start over if you miss.
• Do this exercise for three minutes.
• Repeat the sets as many times as you wish.

9. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers work well to challenge kids' balance and strength, especially if they already exercise or play sports. It is a full-body exercise that strengthens muscles in the shoulders, hamstrings, core, triceps, and quads. Also, kids can develop balance and coordination skills.

How to do it:

• Start in the plank position. Keep your back straight, your hips low, and your core engaged.
• Bring your right knee under your chest toward your right elbow.
• Return your right leg to the plank position.
• Bring your left leg under your chest toward your left elbow.
• Repeat at a steady pace while alternating your legs.
• Keep in mind to breathe and concentrate on engaging your abs, glutes, and hamstrings.
• Keep doing it as long as you can.

10. Single Leg Bounces

Jumping on the trampoline benefits kids' development in a variety of ways; it increases their energy level, improves coordination and motor skills, and contributes to their balance and core muscles. If straight jumps bore your kids, here is one of the best single-leg balance exercises for kids to do on a trampoline.

How to do it:

• Stand up on a trampoline and jump up in the air with arms overhead.
• Bend the knee of one leg and kick the foot up toward your hips.
• Keep the other leg extending down with toes pointed and the torso upright.
• If you feel ready, extend the bent leg at the hip, arch the back, stretching the foot toward the back of your head.
• Return feet together before landing while keeping your torso upright.
• Do stretch jumps in between and alternate legs when the exercise is finished.

11. Bean Bag Tossing on a Balance Board

Standing on a balance board is highly beneficial for having stronger leg muscles, increased motor skills, and improved balance and coordination. By combining the simple bean bag tossing game with a balance board activity, you can create one of the most fun balance board exercises for kids.

How to do it:

• Stand on the balance board with feet equal distance apart from the center of the balance board.
• Move the dominant foot an equal distance from the center of the balance board as the other foot.
• Try to keep the balance board from moving during the exercise.
• Throw a bean bag up and down with one or both hands.
• Close your eyes when you feel ready and keep tossing the bean bag.
• Repeat the exercise for 5 to 20 minutes.

12. Side Stepping

This is a fun and simple balance exercise for kids of all ages. It is great for working the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Additionally, practicing dynamic balance with side stepping is good for increasing body flexibility and spatial awareness.

How to do it:

• Stand tall and widen your legs.
• Pick up your right foot and cross it over your left foot (the outer parts of your feet should be touching).
• Pick up your left foot, slip it out from behind the right, and move sideways.
• Repeat the movement to continue moving sideways.
• Get faster as you feel comfortable.
• Do this exercise as long as you can.

Benefits of Exercises to Improve Balance for Kids

So far, we have discovered the best balance exercises and activities for kids. Now, let’s take a closer look at how these exercises benefit kids' mental and physical development.

1. Gross Motor Skills

Balance skills function as a foundation for gross motor skills and motor development. Therefore, before progressing to activities that require higher levels of gross motor skills like running, hopping, galloping, and skipping, kids need to improve their balance skills.

Balance exercises that include juggling, tossing, or catching help kids improve their static and dynamic balance along with gross motor skills.

2. Balance

From walking to riding a bike or running to sitting, balancing is a fundamental aspect of any movement humans perform. Therefore kids need to learn to balance their weight and power while performing any task.

Practicing balance exercises is the best way to improve this physical ability and practice cognitive skills while doing it. There are a lot of online sources for kids to reach fun and beneficial balance exercises and activities. They are great for sparking kids' interest in staying active and turning screen time into a beneficial activity.

3. Coordination Skills

Balance exercises, especially dynamic ones like balance board standing, trampoline jumping, side-stepping, and book balancing, support kids' coordination skills by relegating balance to the category of reflexive response.

Additionally, balance exercises enable kids to use their big and small muscles effectively and stay in control of their body movement, which transforms into having better hand-eye and muscle coordination.

4. Posture

Kids spend a lot of time in a seated position, which weakens their core muscles and posture. A few minutes of daily balancing exercise might be the right solution for improving kids' posture.

As kids practice balancing exercises such as knee-ups, lunges, or mountain climbers in dynamic and static positions, their bodies will adjust their natural form and correct their posture.

5. Endurance

Balancing exercises can strengthen kids' joints, including ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders, and improves the health of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system.

When joints are stable, and circulation systems are healthy, kids are less likely to get injured or experience muscle pain. This way, balance exercises improve kids' fitness, and endurance and allow them to exercise for a longer time.

6. Muscle Strength

Balance training challenges kids to use their muscle power in an efficient and coordinated way and requires a lot of practice. This process encourages kids to improve their body strength in the core and leg muscles and gives them a full-body workout.

The basic standing balance exercises for kids, like knee ups and tree pose, or the more complex ones, like mountain climbers, can especially contribute to kids' muscle strength significantly.

Faster Recovery

Balance exercises are not only beneficial for preventing injuries, but they are also good for allowing faster recovery.

According to research conducted on people with lower-leg injuries, recovery time accelerates as people perform more balance drills. This means in case of an injury, it is better not to stop exercising and support the recovery process with simple balance exercises.

Creative Ways to Practice Simple Balance Exercises for Kids

• Combine balance exercises with games like freeze, hopscotch, or bowling.
• Try fun board games like Twister, Yoga spinner, or Duck Duck Dance
• Organize activities where kids move like other animals or perform balance-requiring movements, like wheelbarrow walks or flying like a superhero on a pilates ball.
• Incorporate simple balance exercises, like toe gripping, jumping, or sitting on a therapy ball, into your kid's daily tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions