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Get ready for an episode full of simple, straightforward activities using one piece of equipment - a hula hoop!
We dive into the benefits of this single piece of equipment, why you should have one in your home and multiple in your clinic and school, and then we jump right into our 7 favorite activities using hula hoops!
Some of these activities can be done independently while others will need some assistance. These activities can be done with a variety of ages and modified to fit a variety of needs.
Get ready for some new activity ideas that you can try TODAY!
Check out our Gross Motor Skills Activity Skills Course - an entire video library of therapeutic activities using simple pieces of equipment (yoga/therapy ball, Bosu, hula hoop, and scooter board) that you can use immediately!
Check out our NEWLY re-launched digital course: Early Intervention Blueprint: Sensory and Developmental Milestones for Infants and Toddlers and earn AOTA CEUs!
Make sure to check out all of our links below!
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Hula hoops transcend their vibrant, circular form as therapeutic instruments supporting physical and mental well-being. Explore these seven therapeutic hula hoop activities, which offer benefits for individuals across all age groups.
Stand in front of your hula hoop (or hoops), step inside it, and then whip it behind you, jumping over it as if using a jump rope before repeating the process. This exercise is outstanding for enhancing coordination, timing, and the capacity to sequence movements throughout both sides of the body.
Set up a hula hoop as a vertical target by suspending it with string between two chairs or stools just above the ground. Position your child a short distance away, facing away from the hoop, and gently throw them a beanbag to catch.
Next, guide them to lean forward and look through their legs at the hula hoop, tossing the beanbag through it. This activity is a top-tier visual-vestibular exercise crafted to improve balance, posture control, timing, and force modulation.
Create a Venn diagram using two intersecting hula hoops to sort items by color. Have your child put red items in the left hoop, blue items in the right, and those with both colors, often appearing purple, in the overlap.
Consider an engaging activity where items are sorted based on their texture: soft items in one category, hard items in another, and semi-soft items bridging the two groups. To elevate the fun and incorporate physical movement, consider integrating animal-themed walks, scooter board adventures, or hopping tasks to gather the items.
Enhance academic learning by incorporating magnetic or tile letters into this activity. Arrange all uppercase letters in one hula hoop and all lowercase letters in another, and organize letters by common characteristics in the overlapping central area.
Assemble a group of children to form a circle, ensuring each child holds hands to create an unbroken loop. Position a hula hoop on their arms, just above where their hands join.
The goal is to maneuver the hula hoop collaboratively around the circle without letting go of each other's hands. This exercise demands teamwork, problem-solving, and clear communication. It enhances body awareness while promoting social skills and effective interaction.
Arrange several hula hoops by suspending or wedging them between benches to form a tunnel-like structure. Then, instruct the children to traverse the course by bear crawling, crab walking, or simply weaving through the obstacles with careful steps.
It promotes careful movement among them, preventing collisions with or through the hula hoops. By encouraging a more deliberate pace, this exercise enhances their awareness of spatial positioning—a skill that, despite its difficulty for many children, is crucial to cultivate.
Several captivating methods exist for teaching children how to tell time, utilizing a hula hoop, such as:
Reading analog clocks can be complex, rendering the skill a significant aspect of executive functioning. This skill requires comprehension of numerical significance, visual representation, and associating specific times with different activities
This process requires considerable visual perception and spatial awareness, mainly when children construct a clock using number tiles or magnets. They need to position each number accurately and ensure they maintain exact distances between them.
These activities lay the foundation for learning to tell time and boost pre-writing skills through careful observation, matching, and copying. This method highlights the critical role of developing foundational skills as a stepping stone toward cognitive development and acquiring new abilities.
Stand within one hula hoop, gripping a second hoop to place it before you. Then, step into this newly positioned hoop, turn around, pick up the first hoop you left, lift it, and place it down in front of you.
Participants should only step within the hoops, which requires intentionally coordinating their head, eyes, and posture to establish a connection with their physical actions. These repeated changes in head position engage the vestibular system, effectively stimulating and invigorating the body's sensory systems.
Revitalize your body before tackling sedentary tasks by creating a dynamic obstacle course with hula hoops as the focal point. This engaging course stimulates the mind and body by challenging participants to navigate objects from one point to another, effectively combining fun with physical activity.
The versatility of hula hoops allows for endless possibilities, making them an invaluable tool for incorporating movement and sensory integration into daily routines. They can be easily integrated into a variety of activities, both indoors and outdoors, providing opportunities for dynamic learning and growth.
Integrating hula hoops into daily play enhances children's physical, cognitive, and social growth. Thus, embrace creativity and discover innovative methods to incorporate hula hoops into your child's routine activities.
BORING, BUT NECESSARY LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
While we make every effort to share correct information, we are still learning. We will double check all of our facts but realize that medicine is a constantly changing science and art. One doctor / therapist may have a different way of doing things from another. We are simply presenting our views and opinions on how to address common sensory challenges, health related difficulties and what we have found to be beneficial that will be as evidenced based as possible. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or your children. Consult your child’s pediatrician/ therapist for any medical issues that he or she may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Rachel Harrington, Harkla, Jessica Hill, or any guests or contributors to the podcast, as well as any employees, associates, or affiliates of Harkla, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.
This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.
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