Forest Floss

  • Improves ability to cross the body’s midline.  Crossing the midline is important for the process of developing a dominant hand and development of fine-motor skills.
  • Improves coordination
  • Strengthens abdominals

Uses

  • A fun brain break activity the whole class will love

Instructions

  1. Start standing, with your feet apart and arms straight
  2. Swing your arms to one side and poke your hips in the opposite direction
  3. Poke your hips through your arms (so one arm is in front of you and one arm is behind you), as you swing your arms and hips each to the other side
  4. Swing your arms back to the side you started on and poke your hips to the opposite side
  5. Sway your hips to the other side again, as you swing your arms across in front of your body
  6. Keep repeating steps 3 to 5

Watch Points

  • Arms swinging in the opposite direction than hips
  • Legs and arms straight
  • Do the Forest Floss more slowly
  • Practise the Forest Floss hip movement by itself.  Then practise the Forest Floss arm movement by itself.
  • Try doing the Forest Floss on your knees

Seated:

  • Put your arms straight up in the air.  Twist your upper body to one side. Do the Forest Floss arm movement upside down (i.e. with your arms up in the air moving on either side of your head).  Then repeat facing the other side.