Crossing the midline refers to a child's ability to reach across an 'imaginary' line that divides the body equally into left and right sides, from our head to our toes.
This skill enables a child to use both the right and left sides of the body together to perform tasks accurately. Examples of tasks which require crossing the midline include writing, cutting, tying shoelaces, eating with a knife and fork, kicking a ball, hitting a ball with a bat, dancing and more.
It is important that a child learns how to cross the midline in order to perform tasks with ease. If a child has difficulty crossing the midline, it may mean that the two sides of their brain are not communicating well with one another, so it is important to practise tasks that help the child cross the midline.
Activities to Help Cross the Midline
Stacking blocks
Dancing to music
Washing the car
Painting, encouraging your child to paint on both sides of the paper
Playing with cars
Playing sports, e.g. tennis
Wiping the table with a cloth
Catching and throwing a ball
Watering flowers with a hose
Playing games which involve both sides of the body, e.g. Simon Says
Drawing large figure eights
Kicking balls
Playing with bubbles using a bubble wand
Crumpling up paper
Crossing the midline typically develops at around 8 to 9 years of age.
